Secrets
by Queen of Silence
Summary: Coincidence or fate? They never could've guessed that Rachel bringing this girl home will change their whole life. Will they become a family or just people sharing an apartment? One will be rewarded with a new life and bring the other two closer so they could finally open their eyes. Warnings insides. Co-writing with Newphewsnixx.
1. Chapter 1

Hey, People!

New story, Yay!

This one is different then anything I've done so far. I won't say much, cause you need to find out yourselves, but I can say two things; One is that it's my first Pezberry story and it's so much fun! It's going to take them some time, but it'll be _so_ worth it.

The second it that I'm writing it _with_ the amazing **Nephewsnixx **[check him out on this site and on Tumblr]. Writing with someone is definitely an exciting experience and it makes the story ten times better than it could've been. So **a huge thank you to him!**

**Warnings: **D/S relationship, sexual themes, harsh language, some abuse, eating disorder. You're not going to let it scare you, _right?_

**We hope you'll enjoy it! :)**

* * *

Rachel slowly makes her way out the back of the dance studio where she rehearses for the plays she partakes in, this time she was more exhausted than usual. After all she's playing Elphaba from 'Wicked', she needed to work extra hard to be able to perfect that role. _"Man that was a pain..",_ She thought to herself as she took a turn, and made it out of the studio. Rachel then checked her clock, it was close to 9 pm and she _needed _to get home as soon as possible.  
Sadly, the second she stepped from under the covered area, rain poured down. Rachel looked up at the night sky, irritated at the world she lets out a quiet _"Fuck.."._ Quickly she paced towards the end of the alleyway, but she stopped at the sound of heavy, faint breathing.

A blonde girl, who looked terrible, her clothes were ripped and dirtied up. Hair was messy, and the poor thing's face had scratches and bruises. She clearly looks as if she's been through hell, and was still wanting to run from whatever hell she made it out from.

Rachel kneels in front of this girl, showing concerned eyes. "Hey. Are you okay, honey?" She spoke calmly while reaching her hand out, but this girl quickly swats Rachel's hand and tries to crawl away from the brunette. The young blonde quietly screaming out in pain as her attempts draw to a halt. Rachel frowns at the sight of this young woman in so much pain, she quickly walks to the injured blonde. "At least let me help you get somewhere safe." Demanded Rachel as she carefully wraps the young girl's arm over her shoulder and begins to lift her up a bit.

Dani looks at her suspiciously; she learned by now that she shouldn't trust anyone, it never ends up good. So she tries to release herself from this Rachel chick's hold, although everything hurts and her body is tired.

Rachel stopped after a few feet from the studio, and looked at the girl she's holding. "It'll be okay, it maybe hard to trust anyone, and in this crazy state I wouldn't blame you." She gave out a soft giggle, then changed her mood back to a serious one. "I won't hurt you. Do you live near by, do you have any family we can try to reach?" Rachel asked while furrowing her eyebrows.

Is this girl telling her the truth? Dani tries to stay strong; she feels like she's close to breaking down. Maybe she can just tell her she lives nearby and she'd leave her. But she can't open her mouth. Dani feels dizziness, she's too weak for this.

Rachel gently gripped the young girl a little tighter and started to walk down the sidewalk, avoiding any random stranger that was in their way. "Are you hungry? You look like you could eat an elephant." She playfully pointed out before approaching a 7-Eleven. "Do you want anything? A soda, water, just give me something that tells me what I can get for you."

Dani averts her eyes, she knows nothing comes free and she doesn't have any money. This woman seems different than the others, but you never can be too careful. Yes, she hungry, starving even, but she's too scared.

Rachel tilted her head slightly then nodded "I'm gonna get you something." She insisted as she took them up to the front of the store. "Here," Rachel let go of the girl, took her jacket off then gave it to the young blonde, "It's too cold for you not to have one of these on. I also got like 50 more of those coats so you can keep that." She smiled and winked at the other girl.

Sudden warmth go through Dani's thin body. She lay on the wall next to the store, desperately trying to keep her balance. Rachel is a total stranger, she thinks to herself, yet she seems to care for her. Now she have a new fear; how long until Rachel goes back to her life and Dani's back alone in those cold, lonely, scary streets.

Rachel went inside the store, being quick to grab a few sandwiches, then trailed over towards the drink section. "Damn, what do I get her for a drink.." She mumbled to herself, grabbing a juice, soda, water, and a pint of milk. With a bunch of things in her hands, she struggled to get to the register, once she did she paid for the items, picked up the bags and walked out of the store.

Dani's heart beating faster, she knows she's going to be alone again shortly. She shouldn't have dragged this lady to her mess and cause her to spend money on her. She needs to leave, go back to her quiet corner and hope for the best.

Rachel switched hands, then reached out towards the young girl with her free hand. "Come here, I'm gonna make sure you're taken care of before I remotely think of letting you go on your own." Rachel said as she moved a bit closer.

Dani doesn't know what she feels, it's been such a long time since someone cared for her like that. She sneezes and wrap the jacket tightly around her body. She looks up at Rachel, her lips trembling. She knows what's coming next.

Rachel once again helped the woman up, keeping a smile on her face. "Hey, you're gonna be okay. I promise." She whispered before walking. "So.. Do you like music? If so, who do you listen to?" Rachel trying to break the ice, but gets a feeling that she might be trying a tad too hard.

The younger girl leans on Rachel, too tired to carry her own weight. Music.. It's been such a long time since.. No, Dani slightly shakes her head, there's no point thinking about those things. This woman was very nice to her, but it doesn't mean anything; the street is her home and she needs to take care of herself.

For a while it seems as if Rachel's attempts at comforting the young woman, at this rate Rachel should probably give up. But it isn't her style, no she was almost set on trying to figure out who this woman was. "My apartment is just around the corner, if you want, you could get yourself clean and crash at my place for awhile." she offered.

Once again Dani's body tense up. She knows the drill by now; someone act nice to you, like they really care, then when you let your guards down you're captured and can't escape. Although she desperately needs what Rachel offering her, Dani can't risk it.

Rachel could tell that she wasn't getting through to the woman, and released a sigh as she rubbed the young blonde's shoulder, "You don't have to stay with me, if you don't want to. But I won't allow you to stay in this condition, at the very least accept my offer for a shower, and some nice, clean clothes. Then afterwards, I can make you a little side dish to go along with your sandwiches."

The younger girl's stomach made some noises, it's been a while since she last ate. Dani took a deep breath, deep inside she knows that this woman is not like others she met on the street. She lifts her eyes and looks in Rachel's eyes; they're bright and honest. Dani feels like she needs to take this leap of faith if she doesn't want to starve to death.

* * *

"Come on, hon. Momma Rachel is gonna make sure you're good and fed." Rachel said with little excitement._ "God I sound like my roommate.."_ She continued as she walked into the building. "There's gonna be some stairs, make sure to grab the handrail to your right."

Dani's heart skips a beat at Rachel's words and she tries to hold back the tears. Her eyes glue to Rachel; searching for a reason not to trust her, looking forward the moment the softness will pass. She's so concentrated that she doesn't hear Rachel's words and almost trips.

A gasp is heard from Rachel "Oh my god, are you okay?" She asked in a slight panicked tone of voice. "You're not hurt, are you? Well outside of the injuries you already have?" Rachel used a bit more strength to keep up the near fatigued young girl. "Let's get inside." She said while slowly, but surely, getting up the stairs.

Dani nods, she needs to look strong or else Rachel will throw her out. She gulps and takes the last steps to the door.

Rachel set the groceries down and dug into her pocket in hopes to find her keys. Once she, did Rachel pulled them out to unlock the door, all while keeping an eye on the younger woman. She felt more and more worried her as the seconds went on. _"I can't allow her to leave.. Poor girl, she deserves more.."_ Rachel thought to herself as she opened the door.

With her back against the wall, Dani waited for Rachel to unlock the door. She refuses to admit, even to herself, that she missed Rachel's tight hold on her body, it made her feel somewhat safe. Dani leaned her head back and clench her jaw, trying to keep her breathing even so she won't lose consciousness.

"Alright, 'mere." Rachel held onto the girl once more and walked her inside the apartment. Once they were inside, Rachel gently set the other girl on the couch. "It's not much, but it's home." She said with a smile. "Okay, so I'll let you decide on what you want to do first; you want to grab a shower real quick, or if you want to eat right now. Just saying though, I'm not a quick cook, so I can't promise the side dish by the time you'd be done chowing down." She continued as she walked back to the front door, picking up the bag and then shutting the door behind her.

Looking around her, Dani let Rachel lead her to the couch. Her body barely touched the sofa, she immediately slid down and sits next to the coffee table. She watches the brunette carrying the bag and frown, was she giving a choice? No, everything starts to feel wrong, that's not what usually happens.

Rachel noticed the frown, which caused her to frown as well. "You have no reason to trust me, I know. So, I will let you be the one to decide what you want to do first." She slowly nodded as she set the bag down on the coffee table, then pulled out each item that she bought out of the bag. After she placed the arrangement of food and drinks for the young woman, Rachel crumpled up the bag and walked into the kitchen.

Dani follows Rachel's every move. She keeps a straight face, but on the inside it's like a war; she wants to run and go back to the place she knows, cause now it's all so weird, on the other hand, something in her wanted to be back in Rachel's arms more than anything in the world. She's so used to not trust and always keep her eyes open, but something about the woman who took her in telling her she can let go.

Rachel set her duffel bag on the kitchen table, then looked to make sure she didn't forget everything. But to say her mind wasn't down, would be lying since Rachel wasn't sure what to do at this point. She has a young girl in her apartment and she knows little to nothing about her, and even less about taking care of her. "Little girl, you can make yourself at home here. I know there isn't much here to look at, but we got entertainment at least." She looked over at the young blonde, and observed her a bit more. "If you don't mind me asking, do you have a name?"

Dani looked down, she wrapped her hands around her knees and brought them close to her chest. Her breathing becomes quicker and she bites her inner cheek so she won't break down. Dani blinks a few times as she starts to see black instead of her surrounding.

Rachel heard breathing, almost similar to the kind she heard in the alley way. "Hey." She called out as she ran to the young woman, she pushed the coffee table aside, then gently placed her hands on the other girl's shoulders. "Honey, hey.. Look at me." Rachel pleaded.

The blonde felt, though she's breathing, no air is getting to her lungs. She holds her knees so tightly, she's sure she drew blood. Suddenly, she feels the familiar warmth and lean into it, while fighting to keep her eyes open.

Rachel positioned herself to where she was sitting next to the younger woman, she then rested the blonde's head against her chest, humming a soft variation of "Defying Gravity". Why she picked that song out of all the other songs she knew, well, she's playing Elphaba and that song specifically got stuck in her head.

Through her thoughts and heavy breathing, Dani starts to hear Rachel's voice and it's the most calming thing she ever heard. Rachel's voice was so delicate that Dani's muscles relaxed and she snuggles further into the woman's embrace.

As she felt a tighter grip she started to smile some, Rachel gazed down at the young woman and couldn't help but admire how strong this person is. Whatever hell that went on, she escaped, and that to Rachel, was more than enough to feel like she respected her. "I don't think I'd want you to leave.. Something tells me if I had you leave, it would be the biggest mistake of my life." She confessed as one hand strokes the blonde's hair. "I know I just met you and all, but somehow I believe fate gave you the strength to make it to my dance studio of all places."

With the small amount of strength Dani has left, she pushes herself from Rachel's body and looks at her curiously; does she really wants her to.._stay?_ Dani bites her lower lip, she's so tempted to let this illusion take over her sense. Looking in Rachel's eyes, feeling her arms around her body, listening to her voice, it all feels so right. It's been so long since she had someone who really took care of her, Dani almost chuckles at that thought. Maybe, just maybe, this is her chance. And if not, she at least get a one normal night.

"Fate is a silly thing to believe in, but it's different. The kind of vibe I get from you, is right, it's to say the least, believable." Rachel expressed, she rested her arm on the couch, then her head on her palm as she gazed at the other woman. "You deserve a good home, that I can tell right away." she spoke. One thing Rachel had about her was reading people, it's scary how well she can adapt to others, and almost know them inside and out.

Dani even surprises herself when she leans back into Rachel. Maybe it's the exhaustion or her prayers finally were answered. Rachel's words managed to reach her locked heart and she exhales as she relaxed so more. She has good reasons for having such high walls, but at this moment she's tired and Rachel gained enough of her trust to make her believe she won't hurt her.

Rachel gave the young woman one more look of happiness, feeling more comfortable with the idea of having someone younger living in the apartment. "I love to act.. It's been a passion of mine since I was a toddler. I grew up in a small town, where people hated the idea of theater, and they hated gays even more. Well the school I went to hated gays.. But there I learned that no matter what life throws at you, you gotta throw back, but throw back some courage, and strength, also pride." She explained. "When I came to this city, I sorta was lost for a bit, didn't expect to ever make it as an actress, or a singer.. But here I am, doing a production of one of the biggest Broadway plays of the past decade.. But I ramble on too much, you're probably tired, right?" Rachel asked while yawning.

With her head against Rachel's shoulder and her body secured in the older woman's arm, Dani listen to Rachel's story. She lifts her head a little so she could look at the brunette, the younger girl admires the woman for what she went through to finally getting what she wanted. For some reason, the story strengthened the trust Dani was starting to give Rachel. She was in such deep thought that she missed most of what Rachel said. Dani heard her say_ 'right?'_ and yawn. She didn't want to interrupt Rachel from going to sleep, she's done so much for her. Dani nodded and broke the embrace, already missing the feeling of home Rachel's body gave her.

Rachel stood up and stretched for a few moments, then started walking towards her bedroom, she looked back at the younger woman and kept her smile. "Come, let's get some clean clothes, and you need to get in the shower." She expressed while lightly bobbing her head towards her room a couple times.

Worried eyes followed Rachel movement. Dani heard her talking about the shower and moved back a few feet on the floor.

"Did I say something bad?" Rachel began to worry a bit more, she keeps forgetting that she doesn't really know this girl quite yet, and that she could be rather uncomfortable with Rachel's attempts at helping. "Uh.. The shower could wait 'till morning, if you want."

It's been so long since she had a warm bath, but Dani has some unpleasant memories involving a shower. She feels the panic coming back, but she can't let it consume her, she needs to prove to Rachel that she's stronger than she looks like so this kind woman won't throw her out.

Another yawn came from Rachel; she wanted to stay up as long as possible, if it weren't for the day she had, she clearly would. "I'm gonna get you some clothes." Rachel turned to walk to her closet, feeling slightly ashamed that she owns nearly every piece of clothing she's had since she was 10, but it was a benefit in this case.

The young girl watched as Rachel left the room and wrapped her arms around her body again. She's not a trusting person, she never really was and for good reasons. But something keeps telling her that Rachel is different, that something good can happen to her if she'd stay under the care of this stranger. She wasn't big on hope to, or anything optimistic at all. Yet, Dani feels like she should listen to the small voice in her head and, at least, try. She sat in the same position, doing the best she can to breath regularly, until Rachel comes back.

A few minutes passed, Rachel had picked out a lengthy blue t-shirt, and a pair of pink pajamas to go along with it, she then walked out of the room and held both items up. "I think these fit you, I could be wrong though." Rachel's voice was rather nervous now. "I.. Uh.. Tomorrow I can take your torn up clothes over to my neighbors, he's a bit into fashion. He could probably get them looking like new." She tried to put on her Rachel Berry smile once more, but ultimately feeling more nervous than ever.

Dani nods and tries to smile; she's going to prove that she's a good girl. She wants to protest and say to Rachel that she doesn't have to go all this trouble for her, but she knows she can't. Her eyes looking up to the older woman for instruction; she immediately feels safe just by those brown eyes looking back at her.

Rachel walked to the young girl, then held her hand out. "I suck at this, but hopefully you won't hold that against me." she said with a soft chuckle.

_'I can do it, I have to.'_ Dani tells herself and reach to hold Rachel's hand. Her hand is a bit sweaty and shaky and she scolds herself for being so weak.

Rachel took hold of the other girl's hand, and she began to help her up. "Hon, you're going to be fine. I promise." Rachel said as she adjusted her arm around the young blonde's shoulder. "Maybe tomorrow we can find out a bit more about you, maybe find your real parents." she spoke. "Then I could give them an old fashion smackdown for letting such a sweet girl go through hell.." Rachel grumbled, but switched her irked mood at the blonde's parents to the blond girl herself and smiled.

Dani was about to settle back into the comfortable hold that Rachel's arms provide her, but the moment she heard her mention her parents, Dani pushed herself from the woman. She's too weak to stand on her own, so she falls hard on the fall. Dani ignores the pain and tries to crawl away from Rachel, shaking her head.

Rachel gasped and tried to help the young girl "Honey, I wasn't meaning in the sense to give you back to them." Rachel trying to reason with her, but feeling like she had already screwed up. _'Great job Berry..'_ she thought to herself.

Dani feels like she's about to burst into tears and her jaw it trembling. It's becoming too much for her; she's exhausted and her feelings are everywhere. She wants to believe Rachel, she wants to feel safe again, bust she's hurt. Maybe hurt beyond repair?

Rachel slowly backed away, sitting against the wall and sighing. "I'm sorry.." she said while running one hand through her hair. "I knew I wasn't good at this, but I wanted to help you." Rachel expressed before leaning her head against the wall.

Dani freezes in her place to watch Rachel. She clenches her jaw hard, then swallow the lump in her throat. She hates that she's causing Rachel to feel bad about herself when all she did was trying to help. Dani moved closer to her and wait for Rachel to look in her eyes, she needs to see, she needs to understand that it's not her fault, that she's the first person in a long while that Dani actually want to be around. Rachel needs to look at her and get everything she feels, because Dani can't say it and she's close to breaking down.

Rachel's eyes slowly gazed upon the younger woman's, she couldn't help but feel bad, all she wanted to do at this point was hold her and not let go.. But she fears that if she tried to, that the blonde may not like that.. So much conflict going on in her mind.

She's hungry, she wants to get clean and sleep, but most of all she wants the protection Rachel's arms provide. It's ridiculous really; after all she's been through and how much she got hurt, still Dani find a tiny hope, probably because deep down she wanted someone to save her. Dani closed the distance between her body and Rachel's, she leaned to rest her head on her shoulder when she stops and looks up. A 'no' will destroy her, but she's doing it anyway. For Rachel and for herself.

Rachel looked down at the other girl, her hair was covering her eyes a bit, but she was able to give the other a smile. "Okay, you're some kind of adorable, hope you know that." Rachel wrapped her arm around the blonde's waist and held her as tightly as she could without causing pain. "I'm sorry for scaring you, honey."

Dani takes a deep breath, absorbing Rachel's sent and gaining some of her energy back. She closes her eyes and nuzzling her head into Rachel's neck._ 'That's feels right.'_ She thinks as the tension goes away.

Rachel looked at her watch, "Damn, it's getting later by the second.." She said as she yawned. "Kid, I would love nothing more than to cuddle ya', but I got to rehearse tomorrow, and you're probably more tired than I am." Rachel slowly stood up, holding on to the young woman while doing so. "My bathroom has a nice tub, also it has the best smelling perfume in there in case you wanna wear any." She chuckled while walking to her bedroom. "I have a towel on the counter that hasn't been used also. So your shower is pretty much set, you just need to take one."

Dani pushed all the terrifying thoughts from her head, she must show Rachel she's strong and she can see how tired the woman is. She'll do it for her. 'I'll clean myself really quick, it'll be over in a minute.' Dani thinks to herself and nods. 'I can do this', she keeps telling herself.

Rachel sat on her bed, trying to get any of Mr. Sandmans' sand away from her eyes. "I think I am going to make some coffee.." Rachel says, but out of her own will she falls back on the bed. "Or I will lay here until my body heals up a bit more."

* * *

Slowly Dani closed the door behind her. She leaned on the door and took a couple of deep breathes. She looked around her a bit, getting to know her surroundings. She flinched and gritted her teeth while taking her clothes off. When she was done, Dani huffed and took a few steps forward to the bath. She placed the tips of her fingers in the water and almost smile at how warm they are. Next, Dani climbs and lays in the bath; her muscles getting released from the stress and pain, the water burns her wounds, but Dani barely feel it, she in too good of a mood at this moment. Her head rests on the edge of the bath as she moves her hands along her sore body. She closes her eyes and sink in to clean her face and hair, but the moment Dani is underwater she gets flashbacks. Her body jumps up and she re-living her dark past; she screams and shakes, she can't barely breath. In her mind, death seems the better solution. Anything just not go through this.

Rachel hears some commotion from the bathroom, which instantly causes her to get up and see what's going on. "Hon?" she opened the door to see the young girl shaking. "Oh my god!" Rachel panicked and quickly sat on her kneed holding on to the blonde "Hey, hey.. It'll be okay.. Please calm down.." Rachel pleaded, her voice was a little shaky.

Dani feels arms tighten around her and tries to fight back, "No. Please, no!" She screams as tears pour from her eyes, "Leave me, please, no!". Dani feels like she's suffocating; no air comes into her lungs and it causes her more panic. She wants them to stop, she wants to find a way to escape, but she can't. Her body feels like it's on fire, everything hurt and she's scared to death.

Rachel backs away, then grabs her phone, dialing the first number she can think of. "It'll be okay.. It'll be okay.." she continued, feeling scared for her life. "Answer, damn you.."

"What, Berry? Missed me already or did you burn the apartment?"

"Santana, this is no time for jokes. I need help, and fast. I sort a brought someone home, and they are having a panic attack, and.. And.. I don't know what to do!" Rachel lips quivered at how scared she felt, seeing the other girl in such way.

Santana smirked and sat more comfortably in her chair, "You used the fact I'm not home, brought a one night stand to our place and you gave him panic attack? I didn't think you're that bad." She's enjoying it way too much.

Rachel growled under her breath, "I did not bring a one night stand, I did not have sex, and it's not a _he _it's a _she_!" She barked at her roommate then focused her attention towards the blonde. "I need to know how I can calm someone out of a panic attack." Rachel ran her hand through her hair once more.

_'A she, huh?'_ Santana chuckles to herself and makes a mental note to bring it up later, now Rachel sounds really scared, "Sing, Don't touch her, don't say anything, just sing."

_'Well, it worked before..'_ Rachel thought to herself. "Okay, see you when you get home." She said as she hung up, then Rachel crawled slowly towards the tub thinking of a song to sing to the blonde.

Dani feels like she about to throw up, she can't take it anymore. She doesn't have the strength to scream or fight, she's all out of tears. Maybe if she won't fight it'll be done faster and she could go back to crawl back to her corner.

Rachel started humming a soft tune in hopes to calm the young girl down. "I need another story.." she started to sing out the lyrics to Secrets by One Republic. Continuing the song as she rests her hand on the ring of the tub, keeping an eye on the blonde.

"No.. No, please.." Dani mumbles quiet and rocking back and forwards.

"Tell me what you want to hear.." Rachel felt more worried, but continued doing what Santana suggested. Tears formed in her eyes as she sang, and all she wanted to know is how to make this young woman safe.

Inside her nightmare, Dani starts to hear a familiar voice, but this one is different then the others around her, this one actually makes her feel good. She feels like it's pulling her out or something.

Rachel carefully took the young girl's hand and carefully rubbed it. "Honey.. It's going to be okay.." She sniffled once and kept her smile at the other woman. "I-I.. I p-promise." Rachel was scared to do anything else, she's never seen anyone have a panic attack in front of her. This was a whole new territory that Rachel was unsure for a while if she should tread, but there was already a motherly instinct forming inside of her.

Still hyperventilating, Dani blinks a few times and look around her. The room is unfamiliar and she's not sure where she is or how she got there. Her eyes fall on a figure beside her; at first she can't see who the person is and tries to get away from them, but her vision becomes clearer and she can't control her action. Dani throws herself on Rachel and hold for dear life.

Rachel wrapped both arms around the blonde, holding her tight as a huge weight came off her shoulders. "It's okay.." She whispers in the woman's ear, moving one hand to her head and strokes her hair. "I'm here.. It's okay.." Rachel deep down knows that her words was heard from the other woman, but.. Did Rachel feel okay? She was too focused on assuring the girl in her arms that it was okay, but Rachel was damn near close to an attack herself.

Last waves of fear and shivers runs through Dani's thin body while she takes in Rachel's smell. It felt so real, it's like she was there all over again. But she wasn't, she's with, probably, one of the only people who ever cared for her.

Rachel's grip tightened a bit, and more tears fell from her eyes. "I-I'm here.." she said then sniffled once more. Rachel was nearly traumatized by what she saw, she had no clue what would have happened to that poor girl had Rachel not rescued her from the streets. "A-Are you okay?" she looked down at the woman, holding back as many urges to cry as she could.

Dani looks up at those comforting brown eyes and gives a short nod. It wasn't the first time she got a panic attack, she's used to them by now, but this one was much heavier than the others. She's thankful for Rachel being there to shake her off from it, if it wasn't for her, Dani would've puke and pass out for who know's how long.

"Thank god.. C-Come on, let's get you dried and dressed.." Rachel slowly stood up, picking up the towel that was on the counter, then looked back at the blonde. "Do you need help up? Or can you handle it?" she asked with a soft tone of voice.

Dani's cheeks, top of her ears and chest turned red when she realized she's still in the bath. Quickly her hands were wrapped around her body and her eyes looking everywhere but the woman in front of her.

Rachel raised a brow "What?" she asked then looked around for a few moments, then looked back at the young girl. "I don't know.. Oh.. Shit.." Rachel blushed a bit. "I will let you be." Rachel set the towel on the counter again, then quickly left the room. _'Of course Rachel, she's naked, that's why she was acting strange.'_ Rachel thought to herself.

Dani almost let a giggle out when she sees Rachel behavior. A shiver goes through her body and it reminds her that she needs to stand up and dress. Very carefully, Dani gets out of the bath and walk to grab the towel, making sure she won't fall and make Rachel burst inside, seeing her naked once again. She dries her hair and body, trying not to open healing wounds. When she's finished, Dani put on the clothes Rachel gave her and walk to the door. She opens it and stand awkwardly in the entrance.

* * *

Rachel was sitting at the edge of her bed, her blush barely faded away and she was trying to get that thought out of her head by watching some T.V. "S-So.. Those close fit you well?" Rachel asked nervously. How was Rachel gonna bounce back after feeling SO embarrassed, she was more focused on calming the kid down that she forgot that people tend to be naked in bathtubs.

For some reason, seeing Rachel shy like that helps Dani relax, maybe it's because she hasn't seen someone gets like that since forever. She nods and stumble a little on her way to where Rachel is; it's hard for her to stand for so long and she kind of, maybe, misses the woman's touch. She's just hoping that she's not crossing boundaries and would get punished.

Rachel patted the spot next to her "I was just catching up on my crime dramas, touring around makes you miss a lot of good shows." she smiled at the woman. "And you smell nice, and you also look better." Rachel wanted to say more, but she should wait a bit before getting too gushy over the new person that's going to be staying with them, whether Santana would like it or not, Rachel didn't care.

Dani sat next to Rachel and blush at the compliments. She felt the air thicken around her and her heart began to beat faster. Dani didn't dare to look in Rachel's eyes, the best she can is stare at the space near her legs and sometimes sneaking glimpses. She plays with her fingers nervously and feeling more stupid as time passes. She really wants to be closer to the older woman; since the bath accident she can't shake the growing feeling of loneliness and the only thing the seems to work is being in Rachel's arms.

"Ugh, gross." Rachel exclaimed at the T.V. as it showed a massacred dead body. "These crime shows are like crack, but would it kill them to tone down on the gore just a tiny bit?" she asked while holding her stomach. "This is my favorite show." Rachel quickly glimpsed over at the blonde. "Bones is easily the best crime show around.. In my opinion." she expressed calmly.

Dani hears Rachel talking, but it's dimmed, her need makes her almost go into another attack. She wants to slap herself for being such needy and vulnerable, that's not who she is. But her body doesn't care, it wants what it wants.

"Okay, I may have just met you and all, but I know you're struggling with something that involves me." Rachel thought to herself for a few moments. Rachel gently patted her shoulder "Come cuddle with Mamma." She said in a playful but serious manner.

Dani's eyes shoot up when she heard Rachel's words and her mouth opened slightly. Tears formed in her eyes, but she didn't let them fall. Instead, Dani sniffed and shyly scooted closer to Rachel and placed her head on her shoulder. Finally she could breath normally. She give Rachel's hand a little squeeze and watch the weird show the woman chose. Didn't she say she's an actress? That show, in Dani's eyes was just bad. But she didn't care, she was exactly where she wanted.

"Do you like watching T.V?" Rachel asked as she rubbed the young girl's back. "I'm not big on it myself, but I am always watching the more strange stuff when I do watch T.V." She explained then leaned her head onto the blonde's. "I think you'll love it here.. Well with me specifically."

Dani was thankful for Rachel being so understanding and not pushy. They could've watched a show about how to make paper and she'd love it, as long as she's in Rachel's arms.

"Well, hello, hello" Santana stood at the door to Rachel's room with a smug smile on her face; she did her best to enter their apartment as quietly as she could so she could catch Rachel doing whatever weird she was doing while she was at work. "I have to say Berry, I didn't think you had it in you." She says with her hand on her hip.

Dani jumped at the unfamiliar voice and watch the exchange between the two girls. She pressed her body tightly against Rachel, her breathing getting uneven again. She has some many questions, but mostly she's scared, she wants this stranger to go so she could rest with Rachel patting her back.

"I didn't know you had it in you either. You've never placed your hand on your hips at my direction before." Rachel responded with sarcasm. "Anyways, it's not what you think. She was homeless, outside the studio, so I took it upon myself to help her out. Not my fault, I just love helping out and she deserved any help and then some." she continued as she held the blonde closer to her.

Santana chuckles, "Are you familiar with a thing called cellphone?" She takes a step into the room, "Maybe you should've called me before bringing some homeless girl from the street in our home?" Santana watch the movement in front of her and raise an eyebrow, "If you'd bring every lost puppy here we won't have room."

"How is it any different from the many girls _you've_ picked up? Oh yea, because I'm not having sex with this girl, I am trying to do the right thing and help her." Rachel was not in the mood for anything Santana had to say that was against the young girl staying with them. "I pay for my part of the bills, and at times yours because you end up either short, or not paying at all. So give me a good reason why I can't take care of this poor, beautiful soul?" She asked, her voice beginning to sound aggravated.

_'Hmm, that's interesting.'_ Santana thinks to herself, her smile grows seeing Rachel getting upset. "Hey, now, it's not my fault you didn't get any in, like, years." Santana always enjoys pushing Rachel to her edge, "And you actually think you can take care of a child? What are you going to feed her, _Tofu_?" She challenges.

By now, Dani is starting to hate this chick. _'Why would Rachel want to live with a person like that?'_ She thinks and tries to find Rachel hand so she could squeeze it; to maybe calm Rachel and to ease her own emotions. Her ears perks when she hears the other woman talk about food, and although she tried really head, her stomach makes a noise, telling everyone in the room, maybe even in the building she's hungry.

Santana chuckles again and looks at Rachel, "I rest my case." She folds her arms to her chest.

Rachel sighed softly at Santana's comments. "Look, we can talk about this later, please could you grab those sandwiches that are on the table? I bought them for her before we came home." She asked in the nicest of tone as she could, Rachel was really close to going after Santana for what she said.

Santana wasn't even near to being done with this, but she wasn't heartless; there is a hungry girl sitting in front of her. "Oh, we're definitely going to talk later." She says and goes to bring the girl something to eat. _'Damn Berry and her stupid, weak heart. I didn't sign up for turning our home to an orphanage and raising kids..'_ She thinks to herself on the way.

Meanwhile, Dani let out a sigh and lifts her eyes to Rachel. She's not sure if it's for answers or to make sure the woman is fine. Her own eyes start to fill with tears, letting her emotion go a little now that it's only the two of them, even if it's for a moment.

"It's okay, honey.. She means well for the most part." Rachel kisses the top of the girl's head. "It'll be great, I promise." she said as she began to gently rock their bodies. Rachel then shifted her other arm, moving it towards the blonde's shoulder, giving her a full hug.

Dani snuggle as far as she can in Rachel hug, holding the hem of the woman's shirt so tightly that her knuckles change color.

With a cup of tea in her hand and a sandwich, Santana comes back to the room. She takes in the sight and almost thrown back from it, _'They met like a second ago, how this girl so attach to her? And to Rachel Berry from all people? I bet this poor soul is dying to sleep and Rachel keeps talking and talking..'_ She rolls her eyes and set the cup and sandwich on the bedside table and goes back to stand at the entrance of the room.

Rachel let go of the girl for a second, then reached over to grab the sandwich, then handed it to the blonde. "If you want, I think we have some snacks.. I didn't get a chance to go grocery shopping today." Rachel chuckled nervously then glared at Santana. "To answer your question about feeding her, I will feed her anything she wants, even if I have to kill a pig to make bacon, I'll do it. You didn't see what I saw Santana, I couldn't leave her there."

_'Rachel Berry killing a pig is something I want to watch.'_ Santana tries to top herself from laughing, only because that girl Rachel brought home look like she either going to kill her or brake in any moment. "You don't just take every sad kid from the street. You don't know the first thing about taking care of one and you sure don't have the time. The best thing you can do for her is to call social services so they can give her what she needs."

Dani stops eating and stiffens at this Santana suggestion and her heart's racing. She looks at Rachel with pleading eyes. She can't take her back.

"Well, we can't even consider that' till Monday, since the offices are closed on the weekends. Even then, she doesn't look as if she wants to go, and I don't really want her to go either." Rachel shook her head. "She needs two people to care for her, and who better than us?" She asked then realized her question "Don't answer that for the love of god. She's staying here, and that's final." demanded Rachel.

_'Like I want to be a mother at 26,'_ Santana huffs to herself. "Don't think I didn't catch that you implied that you want us to be a family. I'm not going to be your baby daddy because you picked some random girl off the streets." Santana fires back, "And where is she going to stay? We barely have room to ourselves. How old is anyway? She needs to be in school and shit." She just can't understand how Rachel brings some girl in their home and say she's going to live with them. It's beyond irresponsible.

Rachel sighed "She can sleep on the couch, or in here if she wants to.. Also, it's not like you birthed her or anything." Rachel crossed her arms, stood up and walked to Santana. "You know it's the right thing to do San, don't tell me it isn't." she continued in an annoyed voice. "I will make sure she is taken care of, not that I need to convince you of anything, but if it'll keep you from complaining, then you have my word, on how I will take care of that poor young woman."

"First, personal space, your ego is suffocating me." Santana pushed Rachel a little, "She can stay the weekend, but we need to discuss what's going to happen after." She stared at Rachel, then at the young girl, "I feel for you, I really do. Be brave." Then something came into her mind, "What's your name, anyway?"

Dani's eyes widened a bit, she didn't want to answer Santana at all. She _ just _got used to being around Rachel, and Santana sorta came off as pressuring.

Rachel slightly frowned "She's shy, and she's been through hell.. Give it time, I am sure she will be a bit more comfortable." she said as she walked back over to the young girl. "Also, you want to talk about personal space, you're in my room, telling me who I can and can't have in it. So you have no room on your soap box to stand." Rachel pointed out.

"You want to a mother to a girl, but you don't even know her name?" Santana rolls her eyes, "You can't just decide to play house, Berry! You have no training for dealing with children, let alone in her case."

"I have played a mother countless times during our school plays, _and _on top of that I used to be one of the best babysitters around. Plus, I did try asking her what her name is, she's not trusting, and chances are you're probably making things a bit worse." Rachel pressed on. "It's not like I woke up this morning and say _'Hey! I want to find a homeless girl to take home with me!' _and then did it." She threw her hands up in the air.

Dani then lost her appetite, the fighting was getting to her in a bad way. She stood up, grabbed a blanket that was laying on Rachel's bed, then a pillow and partially limped her way to the living room, placing the pillow on one end first, then she laid down, holding the blanket to her person and attempted to sleep. '_Go away fighting.. Go away...' _She thought to herself.

Santana stares blankly behind her, then back at Rachel. She shakes her head and speaks, "You might think you're doing this girl a favor, but you'd only make it worse. She needs a professional; someone who knows what he's doing and actually will help her get better. What you're doing is selfish." She spat, "But I'm wasting my time here anyway; you'll do whatever you want no matter what." She throws her hand in the air and left the room.

Rachel looks over at the girl, frowning a bit_ 'I really hope she's wrong..'_ she thought to herself before looking back at her room. Rachel grabbed the cup, then the sandwich, and walked out and to the kitchen, she put the left overs in a sandwich bag, then placed it in the fridge. After that she dumped the tea down the sink, ran the cup under some water, then turned the faucet off. Rachel had kept an eye over towards the young girl, beginning to feel guilty for possibly making things worse, she shrugged it off for a little bit as she walked back to her room, turning off the overhead light in her room. Rachel turned on the lamp that was by her bed, then crawled under the covers, taking the book off the stand, flipping pages to where she left off.

* * *

As the small apartment went silence, Dani could her heart beats. Her chest rising and falling in a quick rhythm. She needs the sleep, but the fight still echoes in her head. She caused so much trouble, she made Rachel and the other woman so angry. Dani is surprised they didn't punish her or threw her out. But Rachel said she wants her to stay, right? _Did she mean it?_ Everything is so confusing for the young girl and as much as she needs to sleep, she knows what will happen if she will. Her body starts to shake just by the thought. She gets up and sit, staring straight, the place is so dark. Dani thinks she can stay like that until the morning and then she'd get to be with Rachel again, but soon she finds out that her fears only getting worse with every second. She's not sure if it's a good idea or if she can even walk there, but still, Dani gets up from the couch. The blonde girl walks slowly to the familiar room, desperate for the feeling only one person can give her. She slowly and quietly opens the door and looks inside. She gasps when she sees a light still on and finds the woman still awake.

Rachel was nodding off, and she couldn't help it, she was more tired than ever. She has a lot of responsibility as is, toss in a kid to the mix, and now she has a whole lot more of a challenge ahead of her. Rachel had always had one thing that played in her head, "Only take what you can handle, and fight for what you want." with that mindset it got her numerous of roles, so she wasn't afraid of tackling on being a parent.

It looks like Rachel is in deep thoughts and extremely tired, Dani thinks maybe she should go back to the sofa and try to get through the night. But she's looking at Rachel and she can't move. Her warmth, her kindness, her voice, it's what Dani missed in those years. And now that she had a taste, Dani can't let it go. She's going to prove to Rachel and Santana that she's strong, she's going to show them. With the small amount of courage that Dani got left, she opens her mouth, and with a tiny voice she says, "Momma?"

Rachel opened her eyes a slight amount, obviously out of it. "Yes, hon?" she asked.

The girl looks down and sway on her feet. She knows what she wants, but she just can't express it.

Rachel smiled a bit, moving the blanket over a bit. "Come, you can sleep next to me." she had a lot of happiness in her tired voice. "I was feeling lonely too."

A small smile appears on the young girl's lips and she walks as fast as she can to the bed. She gets under the covers and waites.

Rachel turned off the light, placed her book back on the table. "Okay, you all good, hon?" she asked as she pulled the girl a bit closer to her.

_'Perfect.'_ Dani thinks to herself and nods, feeling the sleep taking over.

* * *

**This was chapter one. Tell us what you think!**

**'till next time :)**

**P.s:** I'm back and I'm going to organize, maybe even..delete some. I do promise that you're going to get updates, on the stories that I'm going to keep, very soon.


	2. Chapter 2

Here is chapter two! Yes, that quickly.

**Written with _ the brilliant _with: Nephewsnixx.**

**Thank you all for the alerts, favorites and reviews!**

A lot asked about the girls' ages. Well, Santana and Rachel are at the same age and you know how old Santana is. About Dani, you'd have to be patients, you'll find out when the girl's find out :)

Enjoy :)

* * *

Morning hit New York, the sun gently beaming at Rachel's face, which slowly woke her up. She sat up a bit, looking down at the young girl holding on to her. _"Aww.."_ Rachel thought to herself. She wishes she could stay there all day, but she needed to put food on the table, and cuddling with a cute young blonde girl was not a paying job.  
Rachel walked to her wardrobe, trying to figure out what a singlet to wear, along with exercise shorts to match. Her countdown was ticking, she had an off Broadway performance of Wicked coming up. Once she picked out her clothing, she grabbed a towel from the cabinet in her closet. Then paced towards the bathroom, she shut and locked the door behind her, then took her clothes off. She looked in the mirror for a few minutes, she felt fat, even though she didn't look it, she felt it. "Oh shit.. I don't even know if Santana will be okay with hanging out with her.." She quietly spoke to herself.

In another room, Santana stretched on her bed and slowly opened her eyes. Thanks to her curiosity, she came early from work yesterday and after the confrontation with her roommate, got some more sleep. But now it's early in the morning and she's awake, not sure what she's going to do because she never up before noon. Santana gets up from the bed and walks to the bathroom to brush her teeth and wash her face. She hopes not to run into Rachel, she's not that awake for Berry's annoying voice.

Rachel ran some shampoo through her hair, and strangely the only thing on her mind now, was Santana's words to her. She wouldn't admit this to anyone but.. Santana did speak some truth into Rachel, the furthest Rachel had to experience with a child were plays. She did babysit a few times, but outside of that, she really did not know how to raise a kid. She shook her head from that thought and finished cleaning herself, she just wanted to make it through this day and get back home for the young girl sleeping in her bed.

Santana mumbles on her way to the bathroom; she still can't believe she let Rachel have the room with the bathroom. She closes the door behind her and wait for the hot water to come._ 'I need coffee so badly.'_ She thinks to herself and splash some water on her face. Then Santana brushes her teeth, trying to think about all the things she can do today with the diva out of her way.

Rachel stepped out of the shower, wrapping the towel around her chest, she continues to stare at herself in the mirror, and for some reason still hating how she looks. She starts getting dressed with only one thing on her mind, perfecting what she needs to do. "You can do this Rachel.." She attempted to give herself confidence. She walks out in full rehearsal attire, making sure the blonde girl is still sleeping.

In the meantime, Santana has been already in the kitchen, enjoying her hot coffee with closed eyes. She promised her boss to come up with new ideas until she comes back. So that's something she needs to do today, along with some other minor things. But this morning, Santana thinks, is all about being lazy in bed.

Rachel walked out of her room, sniffed the coffee scent, and following it to the coffee pot with a smile on her face. She opened one of the cupboards and pulled down a to-go coffee mug, then she browsed for the sugar packets. "Santana, did we run out of the Sweet n' Low?" Rachel asked.

"I don't know, you're the only person who uses that shit." Yes, Santana is not a morning person, even after a good night sleep.

"Thanks." Rachel gave out a sarcastic response, but instantly felt guilty for it. She found the box, pulled out two packets, poured the creamer inside her cup, then the sugar, then finally the Coup de Grace; the delicious roasted coffee being poured into Rachel's cup. She looked back at Santana, biting her lower lip as she walked to the Latina, hugging her from behind, then kissing the top of her head. "Seriously, I appreciate how much you put up with me." She admitted before walking back to the counter to put the lid on her coffee.

All of a sudden Santana felt fully awake. She raises her eyebrow at her roommate, confused at at what just happened. A slight shade of pink cover her cheeks, _'Thanks God, I have dark skin. Damn Berry.'_ She thinks. "I am a true hero.." She says back and almost hit herself for how lame this comeback was.

A soft chuckle came out of Rachel as she walked to her bag, lifting the strap around her shoulder, "I will be back at noon, you think you'll be good with the kid in the meantime?" Rachel asked before taking a sip of her coffee. "Please, my hero?" she continued, adding a hint of playful sarcasm.

Santana stares blankly at the brunette. "Excuse me?" She yells, getting from the chair and walking towards Rachel. "You're not leaving me with her, she's your problem! I'm not a fucking babysitter." She says, watching Rachel planning to leave.

Rachel scooted towards the door as quickly as she could. "Thank you!" She exclaimed back at Santana before quickly opening the door, walking out, then shutting it behind her. "Okay, that was a dick move, but I need to work and I won't be too long." She said to herself before running down the stairs and out the building.

* * *

"Really? She just left?!" Santana mumbles, pacing in the house, "She takes a kid from the streets, give her false hope, claiming she'd take care of her, then leave." More than Santana is angry at Rachel for that stunt, she's worried; she doesn't know anything about teenagers, her world consists only adults. She has no clue what she'd do until the diva decides to come home.

Little did Rachel or Santana know, Dani was standing at the doorway of Rachel's room. Her heart broke at the sight of seeing Rachel leave like that, she didn't want to feel like it was too good to be true, but that's how she saw it.

_'Maybe the girl would sleep all day, she looked pretty drained last night.'_ Santana thinks and smiles. Then she heard a sound coming from Rachel's room and the smile is gone, _'I'll get back at you for this, Berry.'_ She thought and walked to the diva's room.

Quick on her feet, Dani ran back to Rachel's bed, hiding under the covers. _'No.. Don't come my way please..'_ She thought to herself, shaking very lightly as she held on to a pillow. _'This isn't Rachel, though..'_ She continued in her head. Dani still wanted Rachel to hold onto, and a pillow wasn't going to be enough for her.

Very carefully, Santana opens the door and walks in. She sees the girl in bed, but she notices the movements. She stands there, not knowing what to do. "Hey, kid." Santana figures she's got to say something, "What do you say I'll make us toasts and eggs, maybe some tea. Then I'll tell you where Ber-" She clears her throat, "-Where Rachel left and when she's coming back."

_'She sounded mean l_ast night.. Why the change?' Dani thought while she slowly lifted the blanket, she tries to do her best to keep a calm attitude. _'Now, say something.. Or nod.. Yeah, nodding is better.'_ She nodded twice.

Dani rubbed her stomach, she was a little hungry, especially after the night she had, and well.. The consistent years of eating very little, she deserved a good breakfast, and if Santana says she can make a good breakfast, and Rachel trusts her, why not? Dani nods once more as she gets off the bed, she then pointed towards the kitchen as a way of saying _'I'm starving, go.'_.

"Bossy." Santana chuckles. She rushes to the girl and opens her arms, giving her an option if she needs help walking to the kitchen.

Dani's eyes widened a bit when Santana did that _'S-Stay strong, for Rache_l.' she thought as she allowed Santana to help her walk towards the living room, seeing that she left the blanket and pillow on the couch. _'Oh.. Damn..'_ Dani shook her head and continued on to the kitchen.

"Can you sit on this chair? You can wait for me on the couch if not." Santana speaks in a soft tone, the last thing she needs or want is for the girl to have a panic attack.

The blonde nodded slowly as she moved towards the chair, she noticed how empty the table looked. Dani leaned back against the chair, feeling bored as all hell _'This chick is boring.. Where is Rachel?'_ her eyes squinted as she pursed her lips.

Santana walks to the fridge and grabs the eggs. She moves to the stove and put them in a pan. While she waits for them to cook, Santana put the bread in the toaster and preparing a small salad. "So, listen, I'm not good with kids. I just don't get how you work and shit." She confesses, hoping the girl will appreciate it, "And believe me, I wish Rachel was here too." She keeps talking while placing the food on the table, "But I'm going to, at least, make sure you're fine until she comes back. We can watch a movie or something, if you'd like." Santana can't believe how soft she's acting around this kid.

Dani looked around for a few moments, unsure of how to respond to Santana, and even more unsure of how she is gonna be able to survive without Rachel right there to hold her. _'That's all fine and dandy, but I am scared as hell of you..'_, Is what she wanted to say outside of her thoughts. Although Dani did like the sound of food being cooked, and the smell of fresh breakfast was addicting to say the least.

"So, I promised to tell you about Rachel," Santana starts and notice the expression on the girl's face change, "I don't know if she told you, but she's an actress and she's pretty good, but don't tell her I said that," Santana wink, "Anyway, she got rehearsal for a few hours. She'll be right back when she'd finish there." She's trying to play it cool, but Santana is so off her comfort zone.

The young girl looked down, still unsure of how to speak to Santana; to her right she notice a pen, and some napkins in the middle of the table. Dani grabbed a napkin and the pen, and started to write on it. _'This is probably the best way for now..' _She said to herself.

Santana follows the blonde's movement and gets nervous when she sees that she's going to write something down.

Dani writes **_"I hope my silence isn't a bother, I just have really bad trust issues."_ **She finishes, then slides the napkin over to Santana then grabs another napkin, and looks over at the Latina feeling rather nervous at how she will react.

Santana reads the note quickly and relax. She smiles at the girl and as much as she thinks that this arrangement isn't a good idea, Santana can't help the fuzzy feeling inside. "It's not a problem at all, do whatever feels right to you. Whatever you might think of me, just know that I want nothing bad happening to you."

Dani frowned a bit, _'Then why did she say she wanted me to go to a home.. Oh yeah, she doesn't know.'_ She sighed and started writing some more, making sure she wasn't forgetting anything that was in her head. Once she finished, Dani slid the napkin over to Santana, the napkin said **_"How long have you and Rachel has known each other? Also, how long have you two lived together?"_**

Santana tells herself to act naturally and not make a big deal about the girl communicating with her. "Eat a little more while I tell you the story," Santana says and takes a sip from her coffee, "Rachel and I go way back; I met her in high school, we were in a singing club together.." Santana decides it's better to leave the part of them being not-so-friendly outside of her story, she can't have the girl hate her, "After graduation Rachel moved here with our other friend, Kurt. They had big dreams of making it in the big city." She sneaked glances at the girl, making sure she's eating and still listening to her, "Some day I showed up at their door, saying I'm moving in." She giggles, "The three of us lived in an apartment as the size of a box, our rooms didn't even have walls! A year after, Kurt married his boyfriend and our friend, Blaine, so me and Rachel had to find a new place to live. We decided to move in together; we knew each other and it was safer than moving with a stranger. Now, 7 years later, I can say we're doing pretty good." Santana smiles and nods, _'Yeah, we're good.'_

Dani smiled at the story Santana said, she felt more comfortable being where she's at, she quickly grabbed the napkin she gave Santana and added another question to it. **_"Is me being here a bother to you?"_**, was what she wrote before handing the napkin back to Santana.

Santana's heart breaks; she messed up big time yesterday. She didn't want to make the young teen feel like she wasn't welcome or unwanted, it's just that she thinks that they can't raise a child and she'd get a proper care if she'd be in the system. Santana put her cup down and turn her body to the girl, "Not at all, kid. I'm happy you're not in danger anymore. I want you to have a chance for a good life, me and Rachel doesn't agree on how you could get that, though." She feels like she's making it worse, "You'll stay here until we'll figure this out and in the meantime, feel at home." She prays she didn't cause any further damage with her words.

"I don't have a home to go to, and I can't stay in the orphanage again." Dani speaks out then quickly covers her mouth,_ 'Crap I thought that was in my head!'_ She thinks to herself; now having a legitimate reason to be embarrassed. She stands up and backs away from the table, scared of what to do next.

Santana is startled by the voice and her eyes widen, that was not something she expected to happen. _'Ok, Santana, she's obviously scared. Just don't screw this up.'_ She tells herself and gets up, slowly walking to the blonde. "Hey, you have nothing to worry about. You have a beautiful voice and you can speak if you want, but it's ok if you don't." The teen's words echo in her head, but she pushes it away for later, for when Rachel comes home. "Can we go to the sofa? I want to tell you something, maybe it'd make you feel a little safer." Santana reaches her hand for the girl to grab.

Dani slightly flinches at the sight of Santana reaching her hand out, '_Come on Dani, you're okay.. Right?'_ She assures herself and nods._ 'O-Okay.. Maybe this lady is nice?'_ She thinks as she grabs Santana's hand; it's so soft, and warm. Not cold and tense like she's used to, then again Rachel's hands were soft and warm too, maybe this life is something Dani needs to get used to.

When they're sitting on the sofa, Santana opens her mouth immediately, not wanting to give the fragile girl a chance to sink into her own thoughts, "In my line of work I deal with many people on a daily basis. Those people come to me so I can help them feel comfortable with themselves, so they can finally be free to be who they are. I know how hard it is to let go and to trust someone." Santana's eyes are locked on the young woman in front of her, "I'm sure you went through some stuff in your life that made you who you're today and brought you to this place. I don't expect you to open up to me and spill your heart, the only thing I want is for you to be as comfortable as possible while you're here." She gently takes the girl's hand in hers, "I'm going to make you one promise, I'm not going to lie to you. That's the only commitment I can give to you, knowing I wouldn't break it." Maybe this short time with the blonde made Santana feel a bit warmer about her being around. Just maybe.

Dani feels a bit more weight off her shoulders, at least knowing that Santana is going to be honest will help trust her that much more. But something about Santana made Dani feel.. Worried, like if something was going to happen, and Rachel and Santana would be affected in a negative way.. She shrugged it off and gave Santana a calm smile.

Seeing that smile allows Santana to breath again. She took a risk with her little speech so she's happy Dani is fine. "So you slept and ate, that's good. Maybe we can watch a movie until Be-" Santana stops again and sigh, she knows it's not going to be easy calling her roommate by her first name, "Until Rachel comes back. What do you say?"

_'I do love movies..'_ Dani thought then a light bulb lit in her head; she then pointed at the microwave, tapping on Santana's shoulder fast._ 'Dang it.. Now's not the time for your selective mutism!'_ she continued in her head, then an idea came to her. Dani started making a 'pop' sound with her mouth as she pointed at the microwave.

Santana is looking at the blonde girl and almost die, _'She's the cutest girl I've ever seen, I really want to squeeze her forever.'_ Santana shakes her head and gets up, "I'll go make the popcorn and you can pick the movie. They're besides the DVD." She says and walks to the kitchen.

Dani got up and walked over to the DVD rack, and wow, they had a _lot _of movies to pick from, and thankfully a lot of variety. From "Artificial Intelligence" to "Zoolander" they had a decent assortment, but one movie that stood out, was "RENT"._ 'Oh my god! I love this movie!'_ she thought as she grabbed the DVD and gazed at the case for a few moments.

_'Am I really doing it? The girl is still alive, she even spoke.'_ Santana thinks, feeling a little better about the current situation. She takes the bowl, a bear and a coke for the girl and heads back to the living room. "I see you picked something." She says and looks at the movie case. Santana giggles and shakes her head, "Maybe Rachel did gave birth to you and never told us." She gives the bowl to the blonde and place the drinks on the table, "Go on, make yourself comfortable, kid." She tells her and goes to put the disk in the DVD player.

Dani ran to the couch, sitting criss-cross on it, then covered her lower half with the blanket, grabbed the bowl and watched as Santana set everything up. _'Maybe Rachel can be the caring mom, and Santana can be the cool dad, the kind I wish were there for me.'_ She thought as she took a bite of her popcorn.

"Ok, kid," Santana turns around and a wide smile takes over her lips; she never smiled so much in one day her entire life. "We're all set. Ready?" She asks as she sits next to the blonde.

Dani nodded; feeling more excited as time goes on. _'I am actually kinda psyched for this.'_ She smiled a bit more, she leaned back against the couch and waited for that soft piano tone of "Seasons of Love" to play on the movie.

Santana finally lets herself go and relax once she sees Dani actually looking like a young girl and not a broken child. Her eyes slowly close; it's what happens every time Rachel forces her to watch it with her and now she just can't fight it. As sleeps takes over, Santana can't help but admit that the girl next to her took over a place in her heart.

* * *

There is a scene within the movie that gets to Dani every time she watches it, and it was slowly coming up. She saw her favorite character "Angel" passing away, and all of Angel's friends singing at her funeral in tribute. Dani covered her face, softly crying at how emotional the scene was, she placed the bowl on the table and quickly held on to Santana, tears from her face landing on Santana's shirt.

Santana jolts awake when she felt a weight on her body and someone grips her. When her eyes lend on the young girl, she's shocked to find her in tears and starts to freak out. _'Oh no, no, no, that can't be happening right now.'_ Santana panic; she can deal with a lot of weird shit at her work, but people crying, especially a kid, _this_ kid, is something that can paralyze her._ 'Shit, Berry is going to murder me.'_ She takes a deep breath and, gently, wrap her arms around the small body next to her. Santana doesn't say anything, she's just holding on tightly and rocks her body back and forwards, hoping to give the girl enough comfort so she'd relax.

Dani gripped tighter onto Santana, just wanting that scene to go away; she forgot that a lot of the later scenes in the movie were sad, and sad was not something Dani wanted to feel at the time. She looked up at Santana, eyes still watery, lips still quivering. "T-Turn it off, please." She was able to ask before resting her head back on Santana's shoulder.

Santana swallowed hard and nodded. With one hand holding the young woman, Santana reached for the remote and turn the tv off. She throws the controller to the side and pulls the blonde as close to her body as she can. "I'm so sorry, sweetie." She rubs her back, "I've seen this movie like a million times, yet I forgot how sad it gets." Santana really wants to kick her own ass right now, "But it's over, you're safe."

"It's fine.." She quietly whispers, nuzzling against Santana's neck. For once Dani's walls were down to where she could talk, she hasn't been able to really talk at all in a long time. Even if it's only in spurts, she was happy that she could make sure Rachel and Santana understood what she wanted.

Santana's heart raced, she thought she'd get a heart attack. Hearing the girl's voice helped clamming her down and now she can breath again. Having the blonde press against her and actually getting better thanks to her embrace, gives Santana feelings she never knew. Being in this moment is the most important thing to her, the girl's state of mind is on the top of her priorities. "Try cleaning your head. Close your eyes and don't think about anything." Santana says while rubbing her back, "I'm right here and I'm not going anywhere."

Dani bit her lower lip, frowning a tiny bit more. "I was.. My parents kicked me out.." she confessed as she sat up, looking down at the floor. _'Why do I feel more comfortable with talking to Santana than I do Rachel? Maybe it's not a comfort thing, I am generally more comfortable to be loved by Rachel, but maybe Santana is kinda like.. The person that I can just spill the beans to..'_ Dani scratched her head and nodded at the thought before looking back at Santana.

That's not what Santana thought is going to happen. She thought the girl didn't like her so much, she thought she was, like, attached to Rachel, so why is she opening up to her? Santana freezes; how do you comfort a kid that's been through this thing? Brown eyes now looking at her and she knows she has to say something now or else it'll end up badly. _'I'm a grown woman, I can handle this! Grow a pair, Lopez, this girl needs you.'_ She says to herself and opens her mouth. "Oh, I'm so sorry, kid." She brushes some hair from the blonde's face, "They're idiots. No person who throws their kids out deserve to be called a parent." The Latina has so many questions, but it looks like the girl is starting to open up, so she's going to let her do this in her own pace.

* * *

A couple more hours passed, Dani kept her cool throughout the said duration; but she'd be lying if she said she didn't miss Rachel, she did, and she was hoping Rachel would return soon.. Then suddenly the front door opens, and it's the diva portraying Elphaba herself; Rachel.

Rachel smiled pretty big at the sight of the blonde and Santana hanging out "So, did you two miss me?" She asked as she shut the door behind her, placing her bag beside the couch, then sat at the end of the couch, looking over at Santana and the girl.

Santana let a breath out in relief and almost smile when she sees the diva entering. She's about to say something snarky, but stops at the last second, not wanting to hurt the girl. "One of us did." She says and turn to look at the blonde, "Go, go, I know you missed your mammy." She says in a loving tone, surprising herself.

Dani growled at Santana for a few moments, but turned to Rachel and latched on to her, squeezing her as tight as she could.

"Uh.. I missed you too, sweetie." Rachel smiled a bit, holding Dani close to her. "So, what did you two do while I was gone?" She asked Santana.

"Sitting here in silence, waiting for your return." Santana ran her hand in her hair. The young girl and her achieved some progress, but Rachel isn't going to get out of it so easily.

"Aw, that sounds boring. So, as a gift for Santana for being awesome, I got you a nice bottle of champagne. I sorta, kinda took it from the catering table, we were having an early celebration to our hard work." Rachel reached over to her bag, pulling out an unopened bottle of Cava. "As for this little girl I got her a little wand prop from the set. I do need it back by the day of the show, but after the show it's yours." She expressed to the blonde.

Santana puts her hand on her chest, "I'm shocked, Berry." She gets up and walks to the girls, "You stole? For me? I'm flattered." She chuckles and rubs the blonde's back for a second. "It's a beginning for repaying me for what you've done."

"What, do you want a kiss for your oh, so hard work of doing nothing?" Rachel raised a brow as she rested her head on the blonde's. Rachel couldn't really believe she semi-offered to kiss Santana just for watching the younger girl, not really Rachel's repertoire of things to offer Santana.

Santana frowns; did she just heard what she thinks she heard? "Well, well, well, who knew that after all these years you'll find the gayness inside yourself." Santana tries to play it cool, but this comment threw her off a bit. Kissing Rachel? She glance to the diva's lips for a second, then shakes her head and pretend to be busy with her phone.

Dani glared at the two bickering, she couldn't believe that they are getting irritated at each other over what? So, Santana and Dani hung out while Rachel was at work, so Rachel offered to kiss Santana. Dani wishes they were kissing right now, it would shut them up probably. "I have met some crazy people on the streets, but you two take the cake of being fucking weird." She lets out; her eyes widened realizing that _that _was not in her head, once more she lets her opinion slip.

Santana's eyes winded in shock; it's not the first time she hears the girl talk, but definitely not like that. She clenches her jaw for a moment, so she won't let the hysterical laughter out, then she says, "Watch your language, young lady" In her authorizing voice.

Rachel raised a brow at Dani "Yes young lady, you need to not.. You talked.." she got up and moved back. "Y-You actually talked, I didn't imagine you saying that Santana and I were weird.. You talked.. Like for real?" Rachel asked, her eyes widened a bit more. "Just like you did last night, I wasn't dreaming when you called me.. Mamma.." she asked then sighed of relief.

Dani nodded "Yes, I talked. People talk, I'm people.. As far as I know." She admitted while scratching the back of her head; then a giggle was heard from the young blonde, it was an innocent kind of giggle. _'Yes, blondie, insult the people who gave you a home.'_ She beat herself up on the inside for saying such thing, but she was happy that she was comfortable enough to talk to the two.

Santana grins, feeling so proud of the blonde. Her smile turns to a smirk as she looks at her friend, "Yes, Berry, she talks. She's like 15 or something, not a baby. Jesus." Santana rolls her eyes and grabs the bottle from the brunette's hand, "Just let her be." She send her a glare, wanting Rachel to drop it and not make an issue over it, "And you," She averts her eyes a little to the side, "Better watch your tone. You're not a sailor, you're a young girl."

Rachel softly chuckled to herself, "Yes, it'd be nice if you ease the tone. We may not be parents of yours, but we're the adults, even if we act like children." She pointed at Santana then back at herself in a calm manner. "So it's hitting Noon, have we eaten today? If not, I could order take out?" The brunette offered with a smile, she then eyeballed Santana. "Also, I need to talk to Santana for a few minutes."

"How about we order something in? Rachel and I could talk for a few minutes until they get here and you can watch tv. What do you say about that?" Santana wants to let the blonde decide so she'd feel more in control.

Dani nodded then grabbed the remote, turning it on and quickly changing to one of the TV channels._ 'I wonder what they will talk about..'_ She kept her focus on the TV while searching for an answer. _'..Nope nothing_..'

Rachel stood up, walked to the kitchen and signalling Santana to follow suit. Before she could get into talking though, she had to order food, she pulled out her phone, dialed a number, then waited for an answer. "Yes, I'd like a medium two topping pizza.. Half pineapple, and the other half pepperoni.. Yes.. Okay.. Thank you." She hung up the phone, then set the it on the counter.

Santana tapped the counter while she waited for Rachel to hang up. When she did, Santana doesn't wait for her to talk and opens mouth, "What you did this morning was absolutely irresponsible; she wanted you, she trusts only you, and you left me with her." Santana lecture Rachel, she feels like she need to do this for the girl, because it was clear that when she woke up and didn't see her, she was sad, "You know I'm no good with kids and besides, I had things to do today." She feels like she needed add that so Rachel won't think she has any warm feelings towards the young blonde.

"I know.. What I did was a dick move." Rachel admitted as she turned to Santana. "I had work though, I was lucky enough to get out early without getting a pay cut." She looked down, now starting to hate herself momentarily. "I'm sorry. I didn't think about your interests, or if you had things going on." Rachel took Santana's hands and grazed them gently with her thumbs. "I promise, I will make sure to get something situated first before I up and leave. 'Kay?" she looked at Santana, furrowed eyebrows, puppy dog eyes.. Yep, this was Rachel pulling off her patented 'Berry Pleading Look'.

_'Ok, what the hell is going on with you, Lopez?'_ Something in the way Rachel spoke and act made Santana feel funny. She backs away from the woman and stiffen her facial expression, "Yeah, whatever. I need to talk to you about something the kid said earlier." She leans on the counter in front of Rachel and fold her arms, "We didn't get deep into anything, but she told me her parents kicked her out and that she can't go back to the orphanage. And we need to be very careful cause her trust issues, or she won't talk."

Rachel looked over at the blonde for a few moments then back at Santana "Why would anyone kick such a sweet, young woman? She has a bit of a mouth, but nothing I'd get THAT mad about." she expressed. "But, you got somewhere with her.. That's good, it means she's starting to get used to us, rather quickly, but it's nice nonetheless." Rachel continued then looked into Santana's eyes. _'I don't know what it is.. But Santana has some sort of attracting quality about her.. I gotta see what kind of eyeliner she uses.'_ Rachel shook her head then walked back to the couch.

That's what Santana is afraid of; the girl getting attached to them. She might kind of like the blonde, but raising her? Santana shakes her head, she's not fit to be anyone's mother or whatever she'd be to this teen. _'I drink and sleep with girls I don't know the name of, that's not something I should pass to her.'_ She swallow hard and move to the living room as well, but the door bell rings and she goes to answer the door.

At the door it was a one, Kurt Hummel-Anderson. He walked in with a smile on his face "Hey ladies, I got a special gift for the three of you.. Wait, there is three of you.. " He raised a brow at the blonde sitting beside Rachel. "Santana, you're getting them younger by the minute ,aren't you?" He pointed out with sarcasm.

Santana closes the door, money in hand, and roll her eyes, "Oh lady Hummel, Rachel is the one who brought this girl." She smirks at Rachel's direction.

Kurt gave Rachel a look "No way.." He spoke then looked back at Santana. "I thought you taught her _not _to pick up high school girls. Do neither of you know a thing about being gay?" Kurt furthered his sarcasm before walking to the couch, sitting where Santana was at. "Joking aside, I got some really beautiful looking dresses from Vogue, they are looking for a couple of women to model in them. As a bonus to getting paid, you keep the dresses." He explained.

Dani's head snaps when she hears the new voice. She follows the man as he sits on the couch, _'Who's this? Why everyone here always at each other's throat?'_ She thinks to herself while moving closer to Rachel.

Rachel smiled at the blonde, holding her close. "I'd love to partake, but this young girl needs me here right now." She explained as she kissed the top of the blonde's head. "It's a long story." Rachel carefully rubbed the young girl's shoulder.

Santana glares at Kurt, not liking that he took her seat, and takes a sit on the other couch. "I work all week long and someone needs to keep an eye that Rachel won't bore the girl to death."

Kurt looked at the blonde for a few moments, "I think maybe I can see if there is a dress in her size, she isn't much shorter than you two which is a plus." He explained as he looked over at Santana once more. "That's if you all want to, Santana I know you're looking for a good check. Both of you would be getting a couple thousand per shot that's on the 'zine and website." He continued to explain. "Oh, pardon my rudeness young lady." Kurt turned back over to the young girl and gave a calm smile "I'm Kurt Hummel-Anderson. I've been friends with Rachel and Santana since high school, and I live down the hall from them." He said as he held his hand out.

_'Oh, Santana told me about him.'_ Dani thinks. Her body doesn't move from Rachel, but she reaches out to shake Kurt's hand. Then she looks between Rachel and Santana to see their response to his offer.

Santana watches the interaction and relax to see the girl shaking Kurt's hand. "When you put it like that.." She says, "I believe I can make it work, just give me the details and I'll talk to my boss."

Rachel smiled at the interaction between the girl and Kurt, then slowly looks over at Santana, and for some reason she feels different about Santana. "I'd love to go, but I don't know how cool this little lady would be with modeling. Could you give me a few days?" She asked Kurt as she rested her head against the blonde's.

Kurt nodded once "Understandable. By the way miss, you look incredibly adorable, if I knew ya' better, I'd give you a nice big hug, and possibly be reluctant to let go." He chuckled before standing up. "So, Santana.. You're gonna go, correct?" Kurt asked as he turned to the Latina.

Santana feels some unknown feeling when Kurt speaks to the blonde. She doesn't like the idea of him so close to her so much, but chose to push it away. "Yeah, Lady lips, my sexy body and I will be there. Make sure to have some nice-looking woman there so I won't get bored." She winks at him.

"I will see what I am able to pick up for you, Lopez." He spoke then walked to Santana, giving her a peck on the cheek "I'll be back tomorrow with the pictures of the dresses so you can decide what you want to wear." He told Santana. Kurt started to make his way towards the door, stopping at Rachel, leaning down to kiss her on the top of her head. "Love ya', Rache." He said before exiting the apartment.

* * *

Santana picks up the two empty cartons and walks to put them in the garbage. She's happy that the girl ate and now looks, dare she say, happy. While they're having lunch, Santana glanced at Rachel and she has to admit that the woman is handling the situation pretty well. "Rach, you want a beer?" She yells from the kitchen, holding the fridge door open.

"Do we have any Lite beer? I need to keep myself somewhat healthy going into my play." Rachel responded while writing in her 'budget book' that she keeps to make sure she doesn't over spend on extra expenses. "Also we need to go grocery shopping soon, do you think Kurt and Blaine would mind us taking their car to get this done?" she looked over at Santana as she took her glasses off.

Santana walks back and handed the bottle to Rachel. "Like can ever say no to either one of us," She chuckles and sit on the other side of the blonde, "What's our plans for the rest of the day? I need to do something real quick and take a shower, but then we can do something, the three of us." After hearing herself saying that, Santana frowns, _'That was rather domestic of me. Kurt better have hot girls at his thing or else I'm afraid I won't come out of this.'_ She thinks.

Rachel pulled out her phone and checked the 'schedule' app on it. "No, nothing is going on for us today outside of whatever you need to do." She said before taking a sip of her beer. _'For someone who didn't like the idea of the young girl staying here, you seem to want the three of us to hang out.'_ Rachel though as a chuckle almost escapes her.

"Hey, kid, you have a suggestion to what we should do tonight?" Santana asks the blonde, "After I'd finish my thing and you, maybe, take a nap." The girl looks, to her, a little sleepy.

A smile formed on Rachel's face as she gently strokes the blonde's arm. "We could maybe head up to the bookstore after she is done with her nap.. I need to pick up a new read for my next tour anyways.." Her eyes widened a bit "Oh fuck.. I forgot I am on another tour in a couple weeks." Rachel rested her head against the couch, looking up at the ceiling. "What do I do?" Ahe asked.

Rage starts to form in Santana's body; the girl Rachel brought home obviously needs Rachel and they can't send her back there. She's angry that Rachel gives this young girl hope, makes her open up and trust again, when it's clear that it won't last long. "I'm not going to yell, cause she's alseep, but just know that I really want to kick your ass right now." She hiss towards Rachel, "You need to figure this out fast and, for your sake, you better not hurt her." She gets up, "I'll be in my room. Tell me when she's up."

Rachel just gazes at the girl before her, starting to feel worse and worse. "I can't miss my tour.. But I also can't leave her here.. She needs me.." she thinks to herself as she carefully gets up, being quiet as she walks to the counter with her beer, and her notebook in hand. "I just.. I don't know what to do.." she releases a sigh.

Santana closes the door to her room and lay in her bed. She has some work related things to do, but she's too emotional right now. It took the Latina years to get her rage under control and not be as furious as she was in high school, but this threatens to ruin everything she achieved. She knows how big Rachel's heart is, but she didn't think before she acted and now they have a teenage girl in their home,that can't be without the diva for too long and that they can't take back to where Rachel found her. Santana takes a deep breath. She decides to take a warm bath, before she'd hurt Rachel, she can work with her phone from there.

Rachel dialed the directors number, her intentions are to have the tour be postponed til she gets everything situated. "Hi, yes I am wondering if there is anyway we can do the tour.. Like a few days after the day we were going to? Yes I realize that it's in a couple weeks.. I'm sorry, family things came up and I need to tend to that.." Her voice getting softer as the director chews her ear out, figuratively speaking.

Santana moans when she enters the bath, enjoying the hot water. She grabs her phone from beside the tub and now she's in a work mood. She needs to think of new sessions and that's a perfect distraction.

A grow is heard under her breath, the more the director insults Rachel, the less she wants anything to do with him. "You know what, Mr. Director? If it wasn't for me and my Broadway connections, you wouldn't have a goddamn production!" she barked at the man on the other end of the phone. "O-Oh really? Well, unless you find Queen Idina herself, your chances of finding a decent Elphaba are slimmer than your chances at getting a date from our Glinda!.. Oh, suck a fat one." Rachel hung up on the director, then set her phone on the counter. "Fucking asshole.." she uttered as she rested her head on the counter.

Apparently, getting upset helped Santana to come up with some pretty good ideas. She texted them to her boss and put her cell on the side. When she closed her eyes, she heard Rachel screams. Santana wraps the towel around her body and rush out to see what happened.

Rachel sighed again, she couldn't believe that she got let go as Elphaba, and what's worse is that she had yet to get paid for the work she already did, and may not even get paid. "This.. Just sucks.." she says to herself, then takes another sip.. Well more like a chug of her beer, then sets it down on the counter.

"What's going on here?" Santana asks, her hair is dripping on the floor, "Is the girl ok?" She looks to the side to see the blonde still asleep, then back to Rachel, "What happened? I heard you screaming."

"Hah.." Rachel shook her head, "There's no more tour for Rachel Berry. She got fired." She sat up and turned her seat to where she's facing Santana, tears were falling from her face. "I called the director to see if he could push back the date of the tour, so I could figure out what we could do with the kid, and he chewed me out.. He was insulting me, and pretty much fired me." She wiped a tear from under her glasses. "Now, I can't even finish my contract, so I don't get paid for my hard work. Which is bullshit at it's finest." Rachel threw her arms up in frustration.

With hearing that, Santana is in full mood of anger. _'This motherfucker! How dare he?!'_ She thinks. Santana open one arm and signal Rachel to close the distance.

Rachel quickly went to Santana, holding onto her as tight as she could. Her grip to the Latina was tight, but not enough to hurt her, she just needed to feel the embrace of her roommate right now.

"He has to pay you, it's the law, and I'll make sure he will." Santana says assure Rachel, "What you did is brave, a bit stupid, but I respect you for giving up your dream to help her." Santana hold Rachel tightly. "You can find another job, I can do more session at the club, we'll manage, don't worry. Be proud of yourself, what you did was a very grown up step." It's rare for Santana to act like that, but she knows that's what Rachel needs and even though they're not typical best friends, the woman still means a lot to the Latina, so she'd make sure she's ok, "No take a deep breath and collect yourself, you have a kid who needs you." She says with her authorizing voice.

Rachel lightly shook her head "He doesn't have to pay me, my contract stated that I have to complete all my dates before I get paid." Rachel slowly moved out of the hug and moved some hair behind her ear. "I can probably find a bigger role, I hear Les Miserables is having a new Broadway production, so who knows." she lightly shrugged then realized for a moment that Santana was naked under the towel. _'O-Okay.. I think I might be staring.'_ she quickly looks over at the blonde. "So.. Could we still go to the bookstore?" Rachel quietly asks.

Santana raises her eyebrow for a second, not sure if it was a typical Rachel behavior or something else, but brush it off quickly. She puts her finger under her friend's chin and makes Rachel looks at her, "I'll deny it if you'd ever bring this up, but you're so fucking talented, you can get any part you want." She even gives a little smile, "And of course we're going, we all need some fresh air. Just make sure both of you dress with something warm, it's freezing." She pecks Rachle's cheek and goes to her room to get dressed. _'Did I just? Ugh, I need to go out later, this family thing is getting to me'_ She thinks and rush to put so clothes on.

Dani lightly tosses and turns on the couch, coming to the realization that Rachel was not there. She sits up and sees that the living area is empty, but she notices that the light in Rachel's room is on, so she gets up and walks towards the room and knocks on it twice, "Ma... R-Rachel?" Se nervously speaks up.

"Just a second hon!" Rachel speaks out as she throws on a red sweater, then opens the door to see the blonde right in front of her. "Good to see you're awake.. Santana and I were wondering if you'd like to go with us, for some girl time outside the apartment."

Dani shrugged. "I need to tell you two something important anyways." she explained as she looked over towards the hallway, she then walks to Santana's door and knocks on it. "Santana, I need to tell you and Rachel something. As soon as possible." she said before walking back to the living room, standing in front of the TV, waiting for the two roommates.

Santana is texting when she hears the young girl's voice behind her door. She pushes her cell to her pocket and quickly rush out to see what the girl needs. "What's going on, kid?" She asks, glancing at Rachel to see if she knows something.

Rachel shrugged at Santana then looked back over at the blonde, "What do you need to talk about?" she asked, walking to the couch, then she sits down. Rachel signaled Santana to sit next to her.

Santana takes the seat next to Rachel and looks back at the teen, waiting for her to speak.

Dani gulped, swaying back and forth. "H-Hi" she lets out and bites her lower lip. 'Come on! Get the led out!' Dani nods once and looked at Rachel and Santana, her nervousness left her body. "Hi, my name is Dani, and I am 14 years old." she announces with confidence.

Santana arched her eyebrow at first, not understanding what the girl's trying to say, but then a huge smile spread on her lips. _'Dani.. The name fits her just right. And God, she's so young to be alone and on the streets'_ The Latina thinks. She glance at Rachel and her smile gets bigger, "Hey, Dani," She looks at the blonde again, "I'm Santana Lopez."

Rachel smiled as well then wrapped one arm around Santana's shoulder in a playful manner, "And I'm the obnoxious roommate, you can call me Rachel Berry, or Rachel." she joked, although people have called Rachel 'obnoxious' before, she used it to joke with Dani.

"Please call her the obnoxious roommate, you'd make my life much better!" Santana jokes, "But seriously, you're lucky kid, if it wasn't for me here, you'd die from boredom or starvation, this one only eats leaves."

Dani slowly nodded then started to giggle, then ran to Rachel and Santana, hugging them both as tight as she could. 'Okay, maybe I can dig this kind of life..' she kept a smile on her face.

Santana is surprised by Dani's action, but her arms find their way around the blonde and she squeeze her and kiss her on the head.

Rachel bit her lower lip, "Admit it Santana, you love her already." She said while patting Dani's back. "I sure as hell do." Rachel confessed.

Santana turns her head to the side and glare at her friend; like she can say she doesn't, it's not fair. Instead of giving an answer, Santana gets up and straighten her shirt, "Let's get moving; I have other things to do tonight, so lets go get some books."

Dani let go of the two, then grabbed Rachel's arm. "You gotta find clothes for me Rachel." She demanded in a calm tone, "Please, now.. Please." She tilted her head and furrowed her eyebrows.

"Don't worry, kid, Rachel is so small, her clothes will fit you. I'm just not sure you'd want to actually wear anything she owns." Santana jokes.

Rachel growled at Santana then focused on Dani, she got up and walked with her to her room then went to her wardrobe once more, "Pick anything you want to wear, then after the bookstore, we can get some Starbucks or something." She bit her lower lip and smiled at the young blonde.

"Come on, D, pick something and let's go." Santana shout towards the teen. She then takes her phone out of her pocket and starts texting again.

Dani looked through some of the clothes, and found one that caught her eyes. She grabbed the outfit then jetted to Rachel's bathroom, she shut the door behind her and quickly got out of the night clothes she was wearing. A white shirt, denim black pants, and a black dress shirt to complete the look. _'I look good..'_ She thought to herself before walking out to Rachel. "How do I look?"

Rachel raised a brow, "Amazing." She complimented then looked for a pair of shoes. "I don't have much pairs of shoes that don't have heels.. I may have an old pair from high school.. Or a performance.." She said while rummaging through her wardrobe.

"Can we go now?" Santana whine.

Dani quickly grabbed a pair of skater shoes that Rachel for some unknown reason had, then grabbed a pair of socks that came with the outfit and put the socks on, followed by the shoes. "I'm ready, let's go." She announced.

Rachel nodded, wrapping one arm around Dani, then walked with her out of the room and towards the front door. "Oh wow, I forgot I had those old things.. I think that was for my audition to American Idiot.." Rachel looked at the shoes Dani was wearing.

"Finally!" Santana gets up, "Looking good, Dani, even if it's in the dwa-" She clears her throat for the millionth time today, "You just look good. Come on, let's move!"

Dani grabbed both Rachel and Santana, pulling them into a tight hug, "Th-Thank you.. For giving me a second chance at life. It means more to me than you know." She admits.

Santana, once again, caught off guards by the young girl. Her eyes get watery and hug the blonde's back, glancing at Rachel and smile. "Good job" Santana mouths to the other woman. "Enough of this emotional ride, get your asses out of the door."

* * *

**Such long chapters :) Tell us what you think.**

**'till next time.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter three is here! Get ready, people!**

**Written with: Nephewsnixx (here and on Tumblr).**

*****For those who wonder, Pezberry are endgame here (you'll just have to wait a while). Dani is only 14 here.

* * *

Rachel is sitting across from Dani, she had made some spaghetti and tofu meatballs. As much as she loved the silence, she wanted to pick at Dani's brain a bit. "So," She speaks up before taking a bite, "What mm.." Rachel stopped herself from talking while she's eating, finished her bite, then dabbing her napkin on her face. "What, uh.. Why.. Damn this is hard to ask.." The diva feeling frustrated at herself.

Dani is chewing the food in her mouth, she really likes Rachel's cooking. She raises her eyebrow and giggle at Rachel's stuttering. She finishes her bite and signal Rachel to continue.

Rachel gulped a bit. "Why.. Why would your birth parents throw you out?" She asked, giving a sad look towards the blonde. "I just don't see why anyone would want you gone. I mean, look at you, you're all sorts of amazing." Rachel complimented Dani.

The young blonde blush at Rachel's words, but gets nervous about telling her story. In the past two weeks Dani has grown to be comfortable with the two older women, she feels safe and loved with them._ 'I heard them talking about it, so maybe it won't be a problem.'_ Dani thinks and bite her bottom lip. "Hmm.. I.." She takes a deep breath and looks at Rachel with worried eyes.

"Honey, this may not look it, but this apartment is a discrimination-free zone. You could be born half snake and I'll still accept you in my home." Rachel nervously smiled, "Joking aside, you have my word that I won't judge you." She reached out to Dani's hand, gently grazing the back of the blonde's hand.

A smile immediately takes over Dani's lips; Rachel can get a little weird sometimes, but that's part of why Dani likes her so much, and she always assures her that everything is alright. Dani sits straight and opens her mouth, "I.. They found me kissing someone in the basement," Dani blush and averts her eyes to look everywhere, but at Rachel, "A girl.. And they didn't approve.. There was a huge argument, they say that they can't have.." tears form in her eyes, "A s-sick c-child and threw me out, telling me to never come back. " She said and some tears escaped and roll down her face.

Rachel raised both her eyebrows, feeling rather irked at Dani's parents for doing such a terrible thing to such a sweet young girl. "Th-That's just fucked!" She let out, but then quickly covers her mouth. "Sorry.. But that's more than messed up; they made the biggest mistake of their lives for doing that." Rachel shook her head and released a sigh. "Dani, you are you.. That's the best thing you can be, and I will make sure you aren't alone in this." She stood up then walked to the fridge, opened it, grabbed a bottle of water then shut it as she walked back to the table. "Since you told me something rather private, I will say something private in return. I hear it's a good bonding technique."

Dani sighs in relief; it's like a burden has been lifted from her shoulders. And Rachel is being amazing. Dani wipes the tears and waits for the older woman to speak.

Rachel nervously bit her lower lip, she has a few skeletons in her closet, that was a given. "I, uh.." She speaks out, but she can't for the life of her say it. _'Berry, man up! It's okay.'_ She scolds herself, then looks at Dani, gulps, then takes her glasses off. "I'm sorta.. Gay." Rachel confesses.

Dani gasps at the confession and she's pretty sure her jaw hit the floor. _'Did she just say she's.. G-Gay?'_ Dani did not expect that. Even though she's a little shocked, Dani is way more curious. She opens and closes her mouth a couple of times; she wants to ask something, but not sure how to go about it.

"Yes." Rachel quickly put her glasses back on, now feeling as if she did something stupid. _'Of course it's a dumb idea.. She may be more scared of you now!'_ she pushed her index fingers together in hopes that she can think of a distraction.

"So.. Are you and Santana together? That's why you're so nervous, cause you're worried about how I was going to react to that?" Dani ask bluntly. That was something she wanted to ask since Rachel brought her here, she wanted to know what's the deal between the two women and finally she has the opportunity. _'I just hope it's ok that I asked, I don't want to cross any lines or something.'_ Dani bites her lips and waits for Rachel to say something.

Rachel, instantly almost fell to the side at the question, she had her arm on the table to prevent that luckily. "N-No!" she started to laugh a bit. "Not that I haven't considered it, but she's.. More of an adventurous type of person, I just like simple, sweet, love." she explained to the young blonde.

First Dani frowns, she kinda hoped for a yes, but then she chuckles at how Rachel described herself. Dani takes a bite from her plate and looks back at Rachel, "But Santana is gay too, right? But she doesn't know you are too.." Dani tilts her head in confusion, "I don't understand, Rachel.."

"Well, yes, yes she is." Rachel gave a nod and a smile towards Dani, "But I haven't told her, because that would kinda.. Lead into a conversation that I don't want to have with her.." She explained in a semi-sad tone of voice.

"But you're best friends and best friends talk about everything." Dani said innocently, "Santana is a little weird, both of you are, but she wouldn't hurt you or anything. You should tell her." Dani says and eats the last vegetables on her plate. "That's what friends are for." She shrugged, like what she said was the most obvious thing in the world. Well, to her it was; Rachel and Santana have been friends for years and they live together, Dani can't understand why Rachel would hide anything from her.

"It's a long, painful story.. One I try to forget." Rachel explained, she understood that Dani was curious and all, but at the same time she felt like Dani was treading dangerous waters. Still, there was a look in Dani that Rachel couldn't lie, say no, or have anything but caring feelings towards, and that's the side of Dani that gets her more than anything. "B-Before we moved here, 6-7 years ago, I wasn't so sure about my sexuality at the time. I was with a man, whom I trusted, more than life itself."

Dani drinks her water and puts her hands on the table, resting her head on them. She sees the look on Rachel's face and frown. She's not sure if it'd be ok for her to ask, but she can't help herself. "W-What happened?"

"I gave myself to him.." Rachel had her hand on her heart as the emotions started to come back, "Santana told me it was stupid that I did, saying how he didn't love me, and that I was going to end up hurt.. She was right. As it turns out, Brody was cheating on me." She continued to explain, "What made matters worse, he got me pregnant.." Rachel's lips started to quiver, "The bastard wasn't there, he left as soon as he found out."

Dani almost fell from her chair hearing Rachel's story. Her hand covering her mouth and some of the shock that was all over her face. So many emotions went through her body; anger, fear, sadness.. Dani glance down and back at Rachel; she feels uncomfortable and it's obviously not very pleasant for Rachel as well. "I'm so sorry, Rachel." It's not enough, Dani knows it, but she doesn't know what to say or how to act.

"A few months later.. I went to the doctors, because I have been feeling sick. Turns out, my body rejected the pregnancy.." Rachel had tears already forming in her eyes, she was close to bursting, "Pretty much it was their nice way of saying, my body killed my baby." And thus, Rachel had tears dripping down her cheeks. "I couldn't ever tell Santana that.. Santana wanted to know why I was so sad, I told her the part about Brody cheating on me.. But that's the extent of it. To this day, she doesn't know about my sexuality, or my.. That.." she covered her face, trying to rid her mind of that memory.

Dani's mouth opened and closed a few times and tears started to fill her eyes. She was lost of words and her heart broke for Rachel. She feels useless; the woman who practically gave her another chance in life is breaking in front of her and she have any idea what to do. Shyly, Dani gets up and walks to where Rachel sits and wraps her tiny arms around her. Hugs always make her feel better, she hopes it'd do the same for Rachel.

Rachel wrapped her arms as tight as she could around Dani, she was doing her best not to completely lose it in front of the young girl. "Thank you.." Rachel looked at Dani and smiled partially, she leaned forward and kissed her cheek, "You're so sweet." Rachel pointed out.

"C-can we watch a movie? Make some popcorn, maybe?" Dani is trying to somehow take Rachel's mind off the dark place she is in right now. She takes a step back from the brunette and gives her a small smile. She then takes some of the dishes to the sink, prying to see Rachel smile again.

Rachel nodded, then stood up to stretch, after, she walked to one of the cupboards. "What flavor of popcorn do you want, hon?" she asked.

"Is there butter left?" Dani asks while cleaning the counter, "Maybe we can ask Santana to come too?" She asks Rachel with puppy dog eyes.

"Let's see.." Rachel rummaged through the cupboards, pulling down a box of butter popcorn, "Yes! Victory! Dani, we have the butter." She announced while taking the shrink wrap off of two bags. "I will call Santana in a bit." Rachel said as she put a bag in the microwave, hit the popcorn button, then pulled her phone out.

"Can I pick the movie in the meantime?" Dani doesn't wait for an answer and walks to the living room. There, Dani taps her chin, trying to choose the right movie.

"Sure, anything you want." Rachel quickly dialed Santana's number and hummed to herself. She admired how much Dani grew on her, it was only a couple weeks ago that Rachel found her, now they already have a close bond.

Santana feels her phone vibrate and move a little on the stool to take it out of her pocket. She huffs when she sees the name of the caller, but answer anyway. "Yeah, Berry?"

"Hey! Dani and I are gonna have a little movie night, and we were wondering if you wanted to tag along." She said while taking one popcorn bag out of the microwave, replacing it with another. "I figured it'd be nice to do something together that didn't involve us going to case worker meetings."

"Can't, I'm working tonight." Santana almost yell, due to the loud music, "I'm coming home to take a shower and head out to the club." She takes the shot the bartender put in front of her and drinks it.

Rachel let out a sigh, then quickly paced to her room. "You've been at the club a lot, would it kill you to hang out with us for a little bit?" She was a tad irked, but didn't want to get too into an argument.

"Do you want all three of us moving to live on a street corner?" Santana asks sarcastically, "Cause that will happen if I won't work." She turns on her stool to face the people at the bar, "And it's not you're really gonna do something, you'll just sit in front of the tv." When the words leave her mouth, Santana realize she probably drank a shot too many. She hated that she felt bad saying that, but she can't make it stop.

"Okay, ow. I'm so sorry to ask of you to hang out, it's not like I was asking you to stay for the night." Rachel angrily retorted then hung up. "Bitch.." she threw her phone on the bed.

"Did she just hang up on me?" Santana said and stared at her phone. 'Goddammit!' She muttered and turned to pay for her drinks and leave. On her way home, Santana tried to convince herself that she wasn't doing anything wrong, _'I wasn't the one brining a young girl home and I didn't make any promises to take care of her.'_ But she think those thought half heartedly. Before she reaches her building, Santana looks up to their apartment and says to herself, _'I'm a single 26-years-old woman and I can do whatever I want.'_ Then she enters and walk up the stairs.

Rachel walked out of her room, and sat on the couch. "Santana will be coming by, but she's got work tonight.. So she may not stay long." she explained, instantly starting to feel bad, not just for explaining that, but for being a little bit selfish for expecting Santana to be involved.

Dani was already on the couch with her bowl of popcorn when Rachel came. Her face fell just for a mere second when she heard Santana won't stay, but she didn't want to make Rachel even more sad. This movie night was to make Rachel happy again and that what she will do. She just wishes Santana could be there too, it'd make it way more fun.

"So, what did you pick out?" Rachel wrapped an arm around Dani's shoulder. "Also, don't be sad, Santana does work hard so we can have a place. Even if she can be a little mean, she takes care of us." She explained with a gentle smile on her face.

Dani smiled back and pressed play. In seconds the first scene of 'Grease' played on the screen and Dani leaned on Rachel shoulder, eating from her bowl.

* * *

A few minutes into the movie the door of the apartment opens and Santana walks in. The Latina notices that the girl are focused on the tv, so she put her keys on the kitchen counter and moves to kiss Dani's head. She doesn't wait for any response and walks to her room; she doesn't turn, even when she feels eyes on her. Once in, Santana grabs a towel and looks for something to wear.

"You know, I wouldn't have guessed that you liked musicals. I tried getting Santana into them, but she usually falls asleep during them." Rachel mentioned to Dani as she held the young girl closer.

"Yeah, I'm kinda into music." Dani stuff her mouth with popcorn, "I used to love watching them whenever I could," She taps her finger along with the music against Rachel's leg.

In her room, Santana glace at her phone and see she has about an hour to get to the club. She quickly looks back in the closet and picks a pair of black short shorts and a red strapless shirt. _'That will be good enough for tonight.'_ She thinks and makes her way to the bathroom; she's desperate for a hot shower, but she has to take a cold one to get rid of the buzz she got.

_'I am still kinda sad that Santana won't hang out with us.. Always at that stupid club.. Oh well..'_ Rachel sighed, but realized that Dani was right next to her. "That's awesome, it's nice to have another girl actually wanting to watch musicals with." she smiled while tapping her finger against Danis shoulder to the music.

Santana takes a quick shower and it help get rid of most of her drunkenness. She gets dressed, picks up her towel and walks back to her room to fix her makeup. She glances at the two girls watching a movie and force back a smile, but the thought of how cute they look already invaded her mind. Santana shakes her head and entered her room, closing her door behind her.

Rachel had partially seen Santana from the corner of her eye, and was still upset that she refuses to spend any time with the two. Also the shot that Santana took at Rachel earlier was still lingering to this moment. "Dani, honey. I am going to talk to Santana for a few minutes, okay?" She asked before standing up.

The movie ends, Dani and Rachel quietly clap at how enjoyable it was. But Rachel was less focused on the movie, and more on what's in 'Barbra's' name was going on with Santana. "Hey sweetie, I'm going to talk to Santana really quick, will you be fine here while I'm gone?" she asked in a caring tone.

Dani placed her index finger on her chin "Hmm.." she let out, smirking over at the brunette. "Yes. I will see what's on TV, maybe the.. Naughty channels." She winked and giggled.

Rachel rolled her eyes, "Yeah, well remember I pay the cable bill, so don't over charge me." She returned the sarcasm as she got up walked down the hall, and to Santana's door. "Santana, it's me, we need to talk.. Can I please come in?" She asked as calmly as she could; she didn't want to start anything, not now, hopefully not ever.

"Yeah, come in. I'm just about to finish getting ready." Santana response and put some perfume on.

Rachel walks in, keeping a calm aura about herself. "Look, I know you have to work and all. But the kid really wanted to spend some time with you; I know she doesn't always want _just _me." She explains as she leans on Santana's dresser. "You're busy, I get that too. You're young and want to have fun; believe me, I understand that more than you think. But remember one thing, I never made it your responsibility to help me with Dani, I never said you had to. The social meetings, talking things over with the state to try to get Dani on some sort of program till she's 18, and school enrollment meetings, I only asked if you wanted to come with. Not once did I say you had to."

"Maybe you didn't 'forced' me into it, but both of you didn't make it easy on me, with your puppy dog eyes and shit." She replays while applying her mascara, "I'm working all week long so we would be able to have a roof over our head, so you could give her all those things. So excuse me if when I come home, I want to sleep." Santana feels like she's loosing her temper and think that it's the last thing she needs before work, "You're right; I am young, I never sign up to be anyone's mother so stop trying to make me one." Santana know she probably cross the line and even hurt Rachel, but it was better than the alternative. She's doing it for all of their sakes.

"Oh, you are high on your soapbox today aren't you?" Rachel crossed her arms. "Santana, I have been making sure we are taken care of; remember my budget book? It has both our finances! I manage it for us because your _'guy'_ was robbing you blind, and because of me, we would have this roof, plus utilities for the next year without a job, and that's including food, and extras." She moved towards Santana, "As for the puppy dog eyes, no one gave you _any_, none at all. You just say yes and tag along. I was actually going to ask you about that last night, but you had work. Also, just so you know.. No one is trying to make you be Dani's mother, all we wanted was a friend to hang out with, and she trusts you. Maybe you should think about that before getting on my ass for working, oh by the way, next week Dani goes back to school, and I go back to work. We'll be gone while you're asleep, and probably be back by the time you have to go to work.. So pardon me for wanting us to have a hang out night before we end up doing our own things and me and you going back to rarely talking to each other." Rachel turned away and stormed out of Santana's room.

Santana is struck by Rachel's harsh words. Yes, she knows she's not innocent and that she pressed Rachel's buttons, but she did not expect that at all. Rachel made her feel useless; she's been working her ass off, thinking she was the only source of income and that without that money they won't have anything. Yes, she went out a couple of times, but she had to get some air, to have fun. But now.. Santana shakes her head, _'So stupid.'_ She whisper quietly. They don't need her; Rachel got a job and is on top of everything and Dani has Rachel to care for her. It's going to back just like before; barely speaking, only hanging out when they're with Kurt and Blaine.. Santana swallows the lump in her throat and wiping tears that are threatening to escape, being careful not to ruin her makeup. "Fuck that! I don't need any of this shit." She says in the empty room, "I can find a better use for my money and I can't be happier that I won't have to interact with Berry any more." She picks up her bag and phone, "At least I'm appreciated somewhere." Santana walks out of her room and rush to the door, grabbing her keys before slamming the door behind her.

Rachel watched as Santana left, and she would have broken down right there if Dani wasn't present. _'Why should I be caring this much about if Santana spends time with us or not..'_ She thought to herself, slowly making her way back to the couch. Her bottom lip was quivering quite a bit_ 'Dammit Rachel, straighten up!'_ She sat up against the couch, focusing on the TV, "S-So.. How about a nice action flick?" She asks with a shaky voice.

Dani's heart skipped a bit and she jumped in her place hearing the door slammed. She knows Rachel and Santana fought because of her and she felt terrible. "Actually, I'm kinda tired. Can I go to sleep?"

Rachel slowly nodded "Where do you want to sleep? My bed, or out here?" she was trying her best to smile, but she couldn't, seeing Santana leave just then hurt Rachel more than almost, anything. _'Oh God, why?'_

"I'm good here." Dani said quickly. She can clearly see the emotional storm Rachel is going through just by looking in her eyes. "Good night, Rachel." She tells her and hugs her, a bit tightly than usual.

"Good night, Dani" Rachel returned the hug then got up, quickly making her way into her room. She didn't even bother reading a book, or changing, she just flopped on the bed, took her glasses off and placed them on the nightstand.

* * *

Dani doesn't fall asleep, instead she waits it out 'till she hears faint snoring coming from Rachel's room. The second Dani hears it, she gets off the couch and carefully, quietly makes her way towards Santana's room, first she jiggles the handle to make sure it's unlocked, then she enters the Latina's room, almost in a way surprised how it looked. But there wasn't time to focus on that, she needed to know where Santana worked, she heard Santana mention a club, but which club? There were plenty in New York that Dani vaguely heard about, so the choices are pretty much endless. But then, she noticed a business card, sitting on Santana's dresser, she stands on her tip toes and pulls down the card._ 'That address.. I know I've heard about this..'_

Santana decided to walk to the club; it wasn't too far and she had time, besides, she needed to calm down before she gets there. Her emotions are all over the place and she really hates that she's letting it affect her so much. When she finally gets there, Santana is more relaxed. She enters the club and greets a few people on her way to the bar to order a shot. She has a little time to sort her head before her client arrives; she's a professional, she knows better than start a session like that. Santana drinks the shot and move to speak to Ashley, one of her closes friends there.

Dani slips into her hoodie, then puts on her shoes. She doesn't quite know when she would be back, or if Santana even had her key, so Dani carefully picked up Rachel's house key then slowly made her way out of the apartment, locking the door behind her. She then flipped her hood on and started to jog down the stairs, and out the building, luckily she knew most of New York like the back of her hand, she took a few lefts, some rights, and eventually made it to the address that was on the business card.

As the minutes went pass, Santana felt more at ease. There Rachel's words or the way she looked at her didn't hunt her, there wasn't a young girl in need for a stable home. Here she was the one calling the shots, there is no surprises. Santana smiles, feeling she got her confidence back. She sees her first client and ran her eyes over the woman's body.

The blonde couldn't place her finger on how to sneak into this club; she had always heard about how people tend to find their way into the club without being seen by the bouncer, but there were multiple bouncers surrounding the club._ 'Must be a busy night.'_ Dani thought as she takes a quick jog over to one of the sides of the building, hoping that there is one way she can make it inside.

"Talk to you later, Ash." Santana stands and walks to her client. She place her hand on the woman's lower back and husk in her ear, "Hello, darling. Let's get us a room so you could tell me just how bad you've been since we last saw each other."

To Dani's luck, she sees an open window, she runs to it, and jumps once. _'Damn it.'_ she can't reach it. She looks around ad sees a huge dumpster. _'I highly doubt I can move that..'_ She sighs loudly, but hears a creak which makes her jump. She turns to that sound and sees a woman walking out of the back door. Dani, quick on her feet runs to the door, slides inside just as it was about to close. _'First objective, get in the club, completed.'_ The voice in her head had a bit of confidence in it.

With every step she takes Santana feel stronger and excited. She wants it, she needs it. She remembers why she first started doing that; she was so lost, unstable even. But in the club Santana found strength and finally could have the control she needed so badly and a place where she felt powerful.

Dani took in the aroma of being inside this club; it felt exciting and soothing to know she was at a club for women, and she snuck out while Rachel was sleeping. She made her way to the bar, let down her hood, then called for the bartender. "Barkeep, One Pepsi on the rocks please?" She asks with a smile on her face.

The bartender looks over at the blonde, raised a brow then returned the smile "You're a little too young to be here, how old are you?" She asks as she prepares a cup of Pepsi.

"Would you believe me if I said I was 23?" Dani asked in a playful yet sarcastic manner.

The bartender laughs a bit, "Not without proper I.D." She explains as she slides the cup over to Dani. "I don't know who you're looking for, I won't ask why, and if I am asked, I don't know you. But you can have as much Pepsi you want, my treat." She winks over at Dani then leaves to tend to another customer.

"Santana-" The woman starts to speak, but is stopped by Santana. The Latina's eyes almost glowing and a smirk is on her lip, "Excuse me? I guess it's been too long if you don't remember how to approach me." Her hand slides to the woman's behind, "But it's not an excuse, you'd still get punished, dear." She gives her a little slap.

As Dani enjoys her Pepsi, an older woman slowly approached the young blonde, she slithers to the seat besides Dani and bites her lower lip. "Hi." she lets out, her voice slightly deep, but sultry to Dani's ears. "Young meat.. Got a name?"

Dani slowly gave a nod, and a calm smile, "Yes, young meat does have a name. No, she doesn't want to give it out." she turned back to the bar, bobbing her head to the tune that's playing.

"Well, my name is Sandra, and if you don't mind me saying.. You look very, very beautiful." She said as she leans against the counter. Sandra saw Dani's drink was almost empty, she smirked and looked back at Dani. "Need a refill?" She asks.

"No, I am here for someone and we'll be leaving shortly after I find her." Dani explained to the older woman, now becoming more annoyed with her actions.

Sandra gently leaned against Dani, placing one hand on the blonde's leg, "Come on, baby.. Your friend can join in on the fun if she wants, I just want to be.. Friendly." She says as she runs her hand up the inside of her leg, almost touching a specific area of Dani's.

Dani starts to breath a bit heavy; she's never really been touched this way, and to be honest, she wasn't enjoying it. "L-Look.. I don't want your hand there, remove it, or else I will gnaw your hand off.." She threatens the older woman, giving her an angered look.

On the other side of the club, Ashley sees her friend being too touchy with her client, "Hey, Miss Lopez, we have room for those things," She says and smirks at her, "Maybe get into one?"

Santana giggles from her place and turn her head, "You're just jealous, Miss Adams. But yeah, we're gonna go and have some fun." Her tone playful.

Dani hears a familiar voice, she turns her head to see the voice came from Santana. She smiles, then lookes at Sandra, "Gotta go." She quickly grabs a drink that someone else had, splashed it in Sandra's face, then quickly run towards Santana. The second she gets close she lunges her body, latching on to Santana as tight as she could.

"What the fu-" Santana growled when she felt squeezing her body, "Dani?!" She cups the young girl's head to get a better look and see if she's not hallucinating. "What are you doing here?!" She gives the woman on her side a look, telling her to stay in place, and takes Dani to the side.

Dani looked over at the bar for a few seconds, then back at Santana, "I just.. I just.. N-Never mind.. I will go home." She said while moving back away from Santana, "I'm sorry.." Dani turns and walks out the front of the club.

Quickly, Santana grabs Dani's hand and pulls her, as close as she can, to her body, "You are not going anywhere." She, herself, not sure if her tone more angry or concerned. Santana search the place with her eyes and spot her friend, "Hey, Ash! Can you cover for me today? I have to go." The blonde woman opens her mouth, but sees the young girl next to Santana, she raises her eyebrow, but nods. Santana mouth a quick thank you and looks down to Dano, "Let's go."

"B-But." Dani tried to protest but she let Santana take her. "Look I just wanted to.." She couldn't think of the right words to say, there was so much she wanted to talk about, more specifically, the fight Rachel had with Santana.

Santana holds Dani's hand and pulls her outside of the club, "How did you get here? And how the hell did you get it?" Santana asks while fixing Dani's hoodie, making sure the girl won't freeze and mumbling_ 'Rachel is going to kill me.'_

"Am I really not worth being around?" Dani looks up at Santana with hurt eyes, feeling a tad guilty for even being around Santana. "Y-You keep leaving at night, you never want to spend time with me.. Why? And please don't tell me it has anything to do with Rachel, I know that's a big lie." Her eyes formed tears, "I am the one who's been wanting you to be around more, I am the one always asking Rachel if you want to spend time with us. It was me, I am the reason you two fought, but it makes no sense why you don't!"

Santana is taken aback from Dani's words and for the second time in the last couple of hours, her heart hurts and years are threatening to run down her face and ruin her makeup. She has her reason for not hanging out with the young girl, but she can never share them; certainly not with Dani and Rachel. _'Look what you've done. Are you happy now?'_ She scolds herself and fight the need to look anywhere, but at the blonde. "D, You're the most adorable kid I've ever met," She says honestly, folding her hands close to her chest; she tells herself it's because it's cold, but deep inside she knows her walls are up and stronger than ever, "I j-just need to work, I need the money. And when I get back I'm tired and all I want to do is rest. It has nothing to do with you." She tries to assure Dani, but on the other hand tries not to go on her promise to her.

"How does it not? Like I told you, I was the one who wanted you around so much.. Rachel always told me that she didn't want to bother you, and I begged her.. But you yelled at her for it, instead of going to me." Tears began to fall down her cheeks, "You.. You don't realize.." Dani covered her face, crying quietly. "It's my fault, that Rachel cried herself to sleep.. If I didn't ask her so much to involve you, you wouldn't have fought..."

"No, no, please, Dani, don't cry." Santana tries to get Dani to look at her, "It's all my fault. You did nothing wrong, baby girl, I'm just stupid and hothead." How much she wants the earth to open up and take her at this moment, "Rachel and I always fight, but I took it too far, I know that." That's part of what she was afraid; kids take things to heir heart, everything is so big and influence them and might cause damage for life. "It's me, ok? I'm the problem. Not you, it's never you."

Dani moved herself away from Santana, "I am not one of those girls that gets dumped by a boyfriend then complains about it on Facebook, expecting likes to make me feel better." She barked at Santana, "I lived on the streets, dealing with ruthless people, I know when something is my fault, I always know." Dani sniffled a bit then moved some hair behind her ear. "It was my fault, scold me like it is." She demanded.

Santana is frustrated at herself, she has no idea how to get Dani to calm down and forget about all of this. "I shouldn't have yelled at Rachel like that and I, certainly, don't need to do it to you." She hopes not to break in front of Dani, "I have problems and I'm sorry I let it come between us." She sniffs, "And I promised you the truth and I'm telling you, it isn't your fault. Please, you need to believe that."

"If it's not my fault, then what is it?" Dani trying to rid herself of tears, at this point she just wanted things to be better; for her obviously, but in her eyes Santana and Rachel's happiness was the main thing to make better.

Santana gulps and moves awkwardly, "It's me, it doesn't matter." She mumbles, "Are you ready to go home?" She says and takes her phone from her pocket, "I'll call Rachel on our way."

_'Fuck it, she won't tell me..'_ Dani shrugged and started walking away.

Santana sighs and walks just a few feet behind Dani, giving them a little space. She tries to call Rachel a few times, but the brunette doesn't answer. Santana gives up and push her hands in her jacket; they'd be there shortly, she can talk to her there. _'I feel like the biggest douche and this night isn't over yet..'_

* * *

**Some drama! Tell us what you think :)**

**'till next time.**


	4. Chapter 4

**A long update, so sit back and enjoy [and don't forget to tell us what you think].**

**Written with Nephewsnixx.**

**Thank you so much for the favorites, alerts and reviews!**

* * *

Rachel slowly opens her eyes, sits up, then yawns quietly. "Thirsty.." She mumbles as she puts her glasses on, gets out of bed, then slowly walks out of her room. As she walks to the kitchen, she looks over at the couch, not noticing that Dani was not there._ 'Man.. I don't think I ever felt so sad..'_ She thought as she grabbed a glass, then turned on the faucet, letting the water stream into the glass._ 'Dani is also very quiet when she sleeps.'_ Rachel set her glass down, turned off the faucet, then walked over towards the living room, finally taking notice of the blonde's disappearance. Rachel's eyes widen "Where is she?" She asks out loud. Now panicking, she runs back into her room, picks up her phone, and calls Santana. _'Oh god, oh god, oh god! Santana is going to kill me!'_

The walk home only increased how horrible Santana felt about the way she acted in the last few weeks and especially today. She wanted to get to her room, close the door behind her and sleep for days. When they get to their building, Santana's phone ring; she pulls it out of her pocket and sees Rachel's name on the screen, _'Finally getting back to me?'_ She can't help the thought. Santana decides not to answer; they'd be in the apartment in a minute anyway. She puts her hands back in her jacket and, lazily, going up the stairs behind Dani.

_'Dammit!'_ Rachel yells in her head, tossing the phone to the side. She grabs her jacket, then walked over to the door. "Where are my house keys?" She asked while rummaging through her purse._ 'Fuck me..'_ She groans.

Dani pulled out Rachel's house key, _'I hope she isn't awake..'_ She unlocked the door, gulped once then opened the door to see Rachel panicking. "R-Rachel?" The blonde called out.

Santana walks in right after Dani and sees Rachel stopping in her place when she hears Dani's voice. _'Oh, this day is only getting better and better.'_ She sighs heavily and puts her keys on the counter. Santana first thinks that she can just go to her room, but knows that won't be happening just yet. She folds her hand to her chest and opens her mouth, "She came to the club." Is all she managed to say, feeling extremely uncomfortable.

Rachel went from worried to angry in mere seconds. "Dani, you realize how worried I was?! You can't just take off, especially this late at night, and in this crazy city." She explained to the blonde. Before Dani could even say anything Rachel held her index finger up, giving her a glare, "I know you were on the streets for awhile, but not anymore." She continued to explain, then moved her hand towards the couch, "Sit."

_'It's nice not being the one getting all the yelling for a change'_ Santana thinking to herself,_ 'And there is something about angry-Rachel. What?!'_ She's confused about that thought, "What?" Santana says aloud, she looks to where the two others are in hope that they didn't hear her._ 'Maybe it's for the best if I'd leave them alone. I'm the reason for this mess, anyway, they don't need me here.'_ Santana lower her eyes and walks to her room.

"Ms. Lopez, I meant you as well." Rachel demanded, quickly turning to Santana, "You're in it as big as Dani is, and we are going to talk about this right now." She crossed her arms as she slightly snarls at her roommate, "Now."

Santana stops in her place and scratch her head. She walks to the living room and plop on the couch, at the far end of Dani.

Rachel walked to the middle of the living room, looking at both of the other women before her. "Okay, Dani.. Why did you sneak out of the house, and why did you go to the club Santana was working at?" She asked as calmly as she could.

Dani stammered "I-I.." she looked down for a few moments. "I just wanted some answers, Santana was always gone, I needed to know why." Dani looked up at Rachel with teary eyes.

_'I know I did some fucked up things in my life, but this is torture.'_ Santana thinks after hearing Dani. She doesn't wish to die because she's pretty sure Rachel is going to do it soon enough. She doesn't say a word, just playing with her hands and looking down.

Rachel sighed, then shook her head, "That's no excuse to put your life at risk. I understand, but I don't like that you did that.." she looked over at Santana, her emotion didn't change at all. "What happened at the club when Dani was there, Santana?" she asked.

"I don't know." Santana looks at Rachel with a blank expression, "She ran to me and I took her out of there. And don't be angry at her, it's all my fault." Santana gets up, "I caused all of this; hate me and just let her go to sleep." She glance at Dani and goes to her room.

"Dani." Rachel called out, turning her head towards the blonde, "What happened while you were at the club?" She asks.

Dani looked over at Santana then back at Rachel, "Someone came on to me.." She softly admits, "An older lady, named Sandra, she came on to me when I was just trying to find Santana. I had a Pepsi, and I was minding my own." Dani explained to Rachel.

Santana freeze in her place and her ears perks when Dani describes what happened. Suddenly, all she sees is red and she feels like she can murder that woman just because she dared to look at Dani. In a hurry movement, Santana walks fast to grab her keys and to open the door.

Dani quickly climbed over the couch, grabbing Santana from behind, "Don't!" She begged Santana, wrapping her arms around Santana's upper abdomen, "P-Please stop leaving.."

Santana clenches her jaw for a few seconds so she won't cry. She puts her hands on Dani and break her hold, "I'm good at causing trouble and I can't do much for you, D, but what I can do is go over there and make sure that woman will never walk again."

Dani shook her head, frowning at the thought of Santana leaving. "I don't want you hurt.." Her lips began to quiver.

"I grew in Lima heights adjacent, I don't get hurt." Santana opens the door and walks out.

Rachel quickly walked with Santana, grabbing her wrist, "What the hell are you doing?" She sharply whispered at her roommate, "You're hurting the kid, you realize that? She doesn't want you to leave, she put herself at risk because she wanted you around!" Rachel gripped Santana's wrist.

"That's not my problem you can't even make sure she'd stay at home." Santana doesn't even bother to fully turn to Rachel, "I can't give her anything and things I know I surely don't need to teach her. The only thing I can do is make sure no one takes advantage of her. So," She pulls her arm from Rachel, "I'm going to find that woman and make sure not even her parents will recognize her." Her eyes meet Rachel's for the first time, but she can't anything but rage; it's beyond what happened to Dani in the club, it's about everything that happened and she felt in the past two weeks.

Rachel's heart broke once more, her eyes weren't watery though, she just felt defeated. She walked back inside, shutting the door behind her, then slid down against it, covering her face. "I.. Feel like screaming.."

"God dammit!" Now, in addition to everything she's feeling, Santana feels guilty. She turns around and pushes the door open. She catches Rachel before she slipped to the floor and drags her to her room. "We'll be right back, watch TV." She tells Dani and close the door behind them.

"What?" Rachel glared at Santana with hurt eyes. "Haven't you hurt me enough?" She was close to breaking down right in front of Santana.

"I don't know," Santana pacing in her room, "You think I'm not aware of how much I fucked up? And that's exactly what I've tried to avoid! You did a big thing and sacrificed a lot for the kid, I didn't think you could pull it off, but you're doing a great job. But I don't fit in to it," She stops as far as she can from Rachel and her back to her, "She wants me there, but I can't. It's for her best and.. And yours if I stay away. Just let me pay for what she needs, that's all I can do for her." A _'That's all I'm good for'_ almost slip her lips.

Rachel stood up, her lips quiver a lot, "You're needed here, not just for the kid, but.." She couldn't finish the sentence for some reason, it was almost hurting her to attempt, "I.. I need you.." Tears started to form.

"I'm not going to throw a pity party, but you don't need me, neither of you does. You of all people should know that.." She blinks a few times to stop herself from crying and turns around, "I have problems, a lot of them, I'm a bad influence and she deserves the best. I can't do it."

Rachel sighed at Santana's lack of knowledge about that specific time, "R-Remember Brody? And how he was cheating on me?" She asked while looking down.

Santana frowns, "W-What's that have to do with anything?"

"Well, he dumped me.. After finding out I was pregnant with his child.." Rachel confessed with regret, "I miscarried sometime during the 2nd month.. My body couldn't handle having a kid.. You were here, helping me through that.. You don't get how much you matter, Santana.."

"He left you pregnant?!" Santana clench her fists, "You were pregnant with his child and he.. Ok, so his number in on my killing list. I'll find him and feed him his own dick!" Santana can't contain all the anger she's feeling; it's either she'd let it out or have a heart attack.

"For fuck's sake! I'm telling you I need you around, Dani needs you! You're more important than your thick head is willing to grasp!" Rachel threw her hands up, turned around and left the room.

"Rachel! Stop, stop!" Santana grabs Rachel hand and looks at her, begging with her eyes, "C-Can we go back t-there? I.. Just, please?"

"I guess.." Rachel slowly nodded and bit her lower lip, "Only if you stop leaving.." she requested while sniffling.

"I won't." Santana walks Rachel after her back to her room. "Why do you think I work at the club?" She asks, but doesn't let Rachel time to answer, "It's not for the sex, because I can easily get that." She shakes her head, "Not the point. I let rage dictate my life for years, I never felt good enough." Santana's heart is racing and her palms start to sweat, "I was so mean and I hated myself." She glances at Rachel, "Being a Mistress gives me the control I need so I won't self destruct or hurt others." The words just pouring out of her mouth, "But I still drink a lot and I sleep around.. I'm not a person Dani needs in her life. You can give her what she needs, I'll only destroy it." Her eyes red and burning, but she's forcing herself not to cry.

"How about you let her decide what's best for her? You owe her that Santana.. You know you do." Rachel further demanded, "Understood?" she crossed her arms. "Your concern about ruining her life, is doing more damage to her mental state than anything."

"Ever considered joining the club? You'd fit right in." Santana joked, breaking the tension. "I'll do my best, ok?" She moves to her bed, "Now go away, I need my beauty sleep."

Rachel growled at Santana "Go talk to Dani, now." she crossed her arms, glaring at the Latina. "She won't think less of you if you're honest with her."

"Are you insane?! I'm not going back there and I'm definitely not going to have _'the talk'_ with the kid. She's young and no boy is ever going to get near her anyway." Santana mumbled and caressed her upper arm; she really didn't want to have to do that.

Rachel gave a smirk, "Oh, you are gonna talk, and you will go out there and tell her, or else I will.. And you know I will belittle your work." She walks to Santana, "You wouldn't want Man-Hands to fuck up on explaining your.. Kink job?"

That spark some fire in Santana, "Ugh, fine!" She starts to walk to the door, "And don't judge it before you try it, Berry." Santana smirks and goes out of the door and to the living room.

_'Yeah, you're so funny Santana..'_ Rachel thought as she rolled her eyes, she followed Santana out of her room now thinking about the idea of being a bit kinky. _'It's been ages since I have had sex though.. Maybe.. Nope. I don't want to go pay for stuff like that.' _She shook her head as she sat beside Dani.

Santana fidgeted in her seat and when she saw that the other two just looking at her, she knew she must do it. "I don't know where or how to begin.. I'm sorry, Dani, I was stupid and selfish. It's just that I think you'd be better off without me-" Santana tells herself to be honest and strong, she can't cry now, "But, like Rachel said, it's your decision." She stopped and swallowed hard, "M-My work.. I'm a Mistress in a club for women." Santana was never ashamed of it, but Dani is just a child and it's weird, "I kinda told you a little bit about it in our first conversation and I didn't lie; I do help people feel good and comfortable." She clears her throat, "But you, young lady, won't have to think about any of that because no boy is ever going to get near enough to try something, as long as you're here." Santana straightened herself, feeling her confidence is coming back.

"So what part of that were you scared to tell me?" Dani asks in a calm tone. "So you are in a special kind of club for women, I have heard crazier from people I cared less for." She shrugged then looked at the TV, flipping through a few channels. "Honestly, you had nothing to worry about Santana.. I have said this earlier, I may be a kid, but I am not immature, I have handled myself on the streets, I know how to take various things of news. This isn't something that would haunt me, or make me think less of you like I know you said to Rachel." She expressed as she looked at Santana with a raised eyebrow and a look of derision.

Santana's body relaxed and a smile took over her lips, "Like we needed another person with attitude around here.." She glanced at Rachel, then to TV, "I'm just sorry I acted like an idiot. I care about you, kid."

"And about the boy thing.. I think the only penises that would enter this house would be Kurt and Blaine." Dani trying her best not to giggle at her own words, "Fun fact, I too fancy smooth skin and perfect lips." She gently nudged Santana and winked.

Santana's eyes widen and her jaw almost hit the floor. She turns her body to Dani and grab the girl's arms, "You.." Her mouth open and close a couple of times, "You're 14, I don't want to hear that kind of talk until you're in your thirties!" Maybe she's scared of this family-like situation, but she can't help being protective, "And it's not nice, Rachel will find someone." She smirks at her friend behind her.

Rachel looked off to the side, quietly whistling a tune. 'Dani.. I would love it if you eased up on that.. Unless..' She looked at Dani, lightly patting her back. "Santana, I think Dani just told you a big secret about herself, isn't there anything you'd like to say?"

Santana raises her eyebrow at Rachel, "Huh? Are we in a support group, I need to say 'we love you, Dani'?"

"You know, you sarcastically get on my case for my attitude, when you do the exact same Ms. Lopez." Dani pointed out while playfully pouting, "I confess that I am a lesbian, and you focus on the part that I brought up Kurt and Blaine being the only test.. Testosterone filled beings that walk through that door." She explained while leaning against Rachel slightly, "The least I could get is some form of acknowledgment, or maybe one of those "Stay out of my contacts book." if I were gonna get sarcasm as a response."

"You know why I didn't acknowledge it? First, look around you; it's like rainbow building here! And second, it doesn't matter; no girl is ever going to step in this house." Santana move her hair from one shoulder to the other, "Oh, and I don't know if this two even have testosterone in them."

Dani sighed and nodded "Fine. Thank you for listening." She got up and walked to Rachel's room, got on the bed then curled up under the blanket. _'Also thanks for kinda degrading me in the process..'_ She sighed then closed her eyes.

"W-What?" Santana looks at Rachel, "What just happened?!"

Rachel glared at Santana for a few seconds, "Okay, you know for someone who wanted that acceptance back in high school, you sure kinda shot her down." She pointed out while slightly frowning. "You were her age at one point too.. Remember how difficult it was for you to admit that you're a lesbian? No one shot you down when you were finally able to be confident about it. Granted it took you leaving our hick town to do so, but you were accepted." She continued, "Maybe, you need to get some sleep or something, then later today.. I don't know, I guess I will take Dani to lunch, at a nice place to kinda get this last day of vacation to end on a good note."

"I just didn't want to make a big deal out of it.." Santana mumbles. 'And that's what happens when you try!' She sighs and gets up, "Never mind, I'll just be in my room." She lowers her head and walks away

"Yeah.. Good night." Rachel sighed as she leaned back against the couch, she kicked her feet up on the coffee table and watched whatever Dani put on T_V. 'I am dreading the rest of today..'_ She thinks to herself as she looked towards her room, seeing the young blonde gripping the pillow as she slept. _'These days go by way too fast, it feels like yesterday that I took her into my home, now she's back in school, and I am back at work..'_

In her room, Santana buries herself under the covers. _'What have I done?'_ She feels like she needs to punch someone or something to ease all that she's feeling at the moment. She thought if she'd brush it off and laugh about it, it'd be good, but after what Rachel told her, she gets that she made a mistake._ 'Rachel is so good at it..'_ She turns to the other side. '_Stop pitying yourself, Lopez! Tomorrow you're going to prove to them that you can do better and that you really care.. Tomorrow..'_ She mumbles and falls asleep.

* * *

The morning hits way too fast, in Santana's mind. Yet, she crawls out of her bed and quickly and quietly wash up. She's on her mission and she needs to work fast. On her way from her room to the kitchen, Santana sees Rachel sleeping on the couch and cover her with Dani's blanket. She gets into the kitchen and opens the fridge; taking out eggs, vegetables and orange juice. _'I'm going to blow the kid's mind with this; she's so used to Rachel's cooking, it's time to give her real food.'_ Santana smiles to herself and starts to work on making perfect pancakes. She places glasses and the salad on the table and almost jumps to flip the pancake. The eggs and toasts are ready in minutes and she puts them on the table with the syrups she took from the fridge. When she starts to work on the vegetarian version of pancakes for Rachel, Santana can hear noises from the other side of the apartment.

Dani catches the scent of Santana's cooking; she tries to follow the smell in her sleep, but falls off the bed in the process. 'Ow..' She thinks as she slowly gets up, eyes completely tired, body aching a bit from being so active, so late at night. Dani stumbles all the way into the kitchen, bumping into Santana gently. "Food.." She utters sleepily.

Santana giggles at how cute sleeping-Dani is. She shakes her head and flips the last pancake on the pan, "Go wake Rachel up and you can have it all." She says gently.

Dani slowly nods, then turns to walk to the living room, she leans over the couch, hugging Rachel slightly from behind, "Rachel.. Food.." She says before yawning against the brunette's shoulder. "If you don't wake up I'll eat your portions.." She threatened as she momentarily fell back asleep against Rachel.

Santana can't control and a huge smile on her face and giggles, "Come on girls, we have a busy day! Get up and eat." She turns off the stove and takes a seat, watching the girls.

Dani leaned up, turned to the kitchen and walked back, she sat down at one of the chairs, her body slowly waking up as she felt more aware of her surroundings now. "So, what did you make?" She asked as she rubbed her eyes.

Rachel got up as well, stretched for a few moments then walked to the kitchen, lifting up her glasses a bit so she could rub her eyes, "You're up awfully early Santana." She spoke while yawning, "What's the occasion?" Rachel asked as she sat in the seat next to Dani.

The Latina becomes nervous now that the two girls are actually awake. She pours them juice to distract herself from her racing heart and answers, "I made pancakes and some other stuff," She looks at Rachel, "You have your special ones here." She points at the plate in front of Rachel. "And I want to say I'm sorry, but action speaks louder than words so.. How about we spend the day together? I have some things planned.." Her leg starts to shake under the table, "If you want to, that is. I get it if you don't.."

Rachel raised a brow, followed it up with a slight smile, "What do you have planned today?" She asked before taking a bite out of her special pancakes, "You know, not to interrupt, but I can eat normal pancakes, these actually are for whenever Kurt comes by for breakfast, but I don't mind these." She explained as she eats.

"Oh.. Ok then, good to know." Santana blush, but shakes it off; thankfully the girls can see it or else she'd been really embarrassed. She takes a few bites, then tells the girls what she thought they can do today, "Well, after breakfast we can just rest, we had a very long night and I'm pretty sure we all need it. At noon, we can go catch a movie, whatever you want. And then.." Santana bites her lips, "Dani, you can go have a sleepover in fairy land, while Rachel and I will go have some drink." She says the last part of the sentence fast and stuff her mouth with food.

Rachel gulped some food down a bit too quick, causing her to cough a few times; she patted her chest then looked at Santana with a worried look, "B-But Dani and I have to leave early in the morning, she can't just go off to Kurt and Blaine's house, since tonight is technically a school night. I have to walk her to school on my way to wor-" Rachel was trying to explain but Dani nudged her hip.

"Rachel, I don't mind staying over there, just as long as Kurt doesn't try to make me a princess again.. That was the most irritating thing I ever had to deal with, seriously." Dani went back to eating her food.

Santana laughs at Dani's comment, but calms herself down and looks back at Rachel, "We won't stay late, just a few drinks. You've been under a lot of stress, so can you just let me do this?"

_'She makes a good point, and I haven't really been out and about in almost.. 6 years... I deserve it by now.'_ Rachel bit her lower lip and nodded "Alright, but you're gonna have to help me get an outfit together, I am extremely rusty when it comes to going out for drinks." She chuckled softly.

"Don't worry about that." Santana lets her eyes run on the visible part of Rachel's body. She catches herself doing so and turns her attention to Dani, "And Dani, I'm sorry I've been an ass. You are a very brave young woman and I'm glad you told me." She sips her drink, "But you do need to stay away from my room." She winks at the blonde.

Dani gasped and placed her hand on her chest. "Oh darn, I was hoping to find someone I am compatible with." She winked back at Santana, then reached out to hold the Latina's hand. "I forgive you, and thank you for your compliment."

* * *

A few hours after breakfast, the three women got dressed and went out to the cinema. The place isn't packed with people, but still pretty noisy. Santana feels a lot better than she did when she woke up; things seem to get better and she can't stop smiling. Dani really captured her heart and she plans to make sure she'd stay happy. They reach the ticket office and Santana hands Dani some money, "You chose the movie, I'll grab us snacks and drinks."

Dani smiled and walked to the counter, she browsed each movie before she spotted a specific one she's been dying to see. "Three for The Avengers, please?" She placed the money on the counter. Dani knew it was an old movie, but a movie she never got a chance to see, and was looking forward to see with Rachel and Santana. She grabbed the tickets and change, then ran to Santana, handing her the change and her ticket. "I've never seen this movie before." She said with excitement.

"Keep it, D, you need your own money." Santana smiles and pay for the food, "Come on, everyone grabs something and let's go." Santana bought almost everything they have there and she couldn't carry it all by herself.

Rachel grabbed some items from the counter, she was a bit speechless for the most part, Santana did a complete 180 just out of nowhere and Rachel was liking this sweet side of Santana. She's seen this before, but she never really observed it this closely before, Rachel wouldn't mind seeing more of this in the future. "So Dani, what made you want to see the Avengers? I mean we own it on DVD and all, so I am just curious."

Dani frowned a bit, she had forgotten that it was over at the apartment, and she felt bad for wasting Santana's money to see a movie they already owned in theaters. "I.. I didn't know.. I will pay Santana's money back I swear." She exclaimed towards Rachel and Santana, she looked down biting her lower lip.

"Hey, hey, it's ok. It's always better watching movies on the big screen." Santana nudge Dani's shoulder, "Plus, I can never get tired seeing Scarlett Johansson." She winks at the blonde, "Now, hurry up, I love watching the trailers."

Dani felt a huge weight lifting off her shoulders as she ran towards the auditorium.

Rachel softly chuckled as she walked with Santana, she looked at the Latina "You say you're not gonna be good, look at you right now, she loves the holy hell out of you." she winked then walked with a sway in her hips "I too like seeing Scarlett Johansson, her hair in the movie is just beautiful." Rachel gulped a bit after saying that. _'Nice save, Berry..'_

A little blush appeared on Santana's face, but it was gone when she watched Rachel move. _'Did I just..? It's the lack of sleep.'_ She reasoned and walked pass Rachel, "Careful, Berry, your gay is showing." She smirks and chuckles, taking a seat on one side of Dani.

Rachel sat on the other side of Dani, she kept an arm rest up in case the blonde wanted to relax a bit more. "Hey Dani, are you excited for school on the morning?" She asked while looking through the snacks that Santana bought.

Dani bit her lower lip nervously "I am excited but also scared, I haven't been to school in almost a year." She confessed as she noticed a box of Skittles on Rachel's lap. "Dibs." She quickly grabbed the Skittles, hugging it to her as she eyed Rachel then Santana. "Kidding?" She smiled a bit.

"Sharing is caring," Santana chuckles, "No, no, you can have it. We have other things." She eats some popcorn, "And you're going to do great tomorrow, kid, they're going to love you." She squeezes Dani's hand to reassure her and drink her coke. "What about you, Rachel?"

Rachel looked over at Santana "What about me?" She asked curiously.

Dani pushed her head against Rachel's shoulder while eating some Skittles; for the first time she felt like those spoiled kids on TV and the movies._ 'I think today is just gonna get better, now I need to get these two to interact more..'_

It takes a lot of her self control to fight back the sarcasm; she wants Dani to enjoy the day and to be civil, "Nervous about the new job? It's kinda different.."

"I guess it's one of those situations of 'Those who can't do, teach.' right? It's not that different than rehearsing, I am just the instructor at the dance gym that's like.. 5 or 6 blocks down from our place." Rachel explained. She wrapped her arm around Dani's shoulder, rubbing it gently. "I guess it's a kick in the gut, considering how much I sacrificed for this city in terms of art, but hey, it could be worse." She smiled a bit.

"There are more productions out there; it's not like you to give up. And if it's about the money, we can manage." After the words left her mouth, Santana thinks it's one of the kindest things she ever told to her roommate. Santana moves in her chair; it feels weird for her that they actually nice to each other.

"I didn't get into acting for the money Santana, I got into it for."

"Shh, the commercials are starting up." Dani calmly demanded as she got more comfortable against Rachel's embrace.

Santana's eyes lingered on Rachel for a couple of seconds, _'That's not what I meant..'_ Santana is a little frustrated; lately a lot of what she's saying comes across totally different than she wanted. She turns her head to the screen, she love this part.

Dani was into the movie, calmly cheering at the good moments, laughing when everyone else was. Her eyes lit up at various points in the movie, she was captivated by it.  
Rachel at points throughout the movie would gaze at Santana, now for some reason can't get over how much she meant to her.  
Santana, on her part, enjoyed the movie, even if it was the 10th time she watched it. She sneaked a few looks to the side during the movie; feeling happy to see Dani smiling and so into it and Rachel getting a break from everything and having some fun.

* * *

The girls made it from the theater back to their apartment building; Dani said her goodbyes to Rachel and Santana, then ran to Kurt and Blaine's apartment down the hall. Rachel unlocked the door, opened it, then quickly made her way into her room to get ready to go out in a little while.  
Santana closed the door behind her and went to drink a cup of water. She has to talk to Rachel about what she told her last night, and Santana knows it won't be so easy. She walks to Rachel's door and knock twice.

Rachel heard the knock, turned to answer the door, feeling a bit nervous about tonight, "Y-Yeah?" She asks.

"Need help?" Santana enters the room and sits on the bed. There are times they need to act like normal best friend and this one of those times.

"Lots of help." Rachel answered as she lays down next to Santana, "You know, it's been roughly 6 years since I have just.. Gone out, like for drinks and stuff. I mean, I've gone to those catering events with Kurt, but I don't count those as actually going out since it was a casting party." She explains as she rested her head on her hands.

"Hmm.. About that, can we talk? We don't have to, but I'd like to." Santana says carefully; she doesn't want to cause Rachel pain and she tends to say the wrong things lately.

"Sure, you know we can talk about whatever you want." She grabbed Santana's hand and smiled up at her, "What's on your mind?"

"Last night you told me something really personal and I'm sure it wasn't easy." Instinctively her thumb brush on Rachel's palm, "I know I was there, but I wish you wouldn't have to go through it alone.. What happened? Do you.. Can you still have kids?" Santana's tone is soft and her full attention is in her friend.

"No.." Rachel answered as she sat up, looking at the floor, "My body rejected the pregnancy.. The doctors said that I am not able to have kids because of how my body is, so I got the surgery to get the baby out of me, and to get.. Well.. The ability to not get pregnant again." She sighed, feeling close to crying, similar to how she did with Dani. "I think that's part of the reason why I grew so attached to Dani, so quick.. I mean, she's almost old enough to be my kid, and there was that motherly connection that I grasped right away, and she's the only one that was able to make me do that. I've seen homeless kids in this city, but out of all of them, Dani was the one I knew I needed to save." Rachel shook her head and softly chuckled, "You probably think I'm an idiot.."

Santana can swear she heard her heart breaks. Rachel has been always so motherly, Santana was sure she'd be the first to become a mother. She feels anger, sympathy, but mostly she admires Rachel for keeping her strength after all of that. "You're far from it, Rach." Santana closes the distance between them and wraps her arms around her friend, "You're so strong! And what you're doing for Dani is amazing; you're giving her a chance in life."

Rachel held on to Santana, smiling a bit at her kind words. "Well, thanks.. You know, what you did today, completely changed how I thought you felt for her?" She pointed out, "Like.. For a while I thought you kinda hated her, then I thought you saw her as someone to be sarcastic to when I am not around.. But now I see; you do have love for her, you just express it a different way." Rachel bit her lip and started to giggle. "It's crazy that she caught on to your sarcasm quicker than I ever did."

Santana untangles herself from Rachel and put some space between them. It was suppose to be about Rachel, not her, "Yeah, she's a cool kid. But we need to work on her attitude; she thinks she can be cute and sarcastic and get away with it." She chuckles nervously and rolls her eyes.

"Remind you of anyone?" Rachel looked at Santana, giving her a gentle smile. _'Oh wow.. Words.. I just don't know..'_ She thought to herself as she realized she was staring at Santana a tad too long, "So, uh.. Clothes, should I worry about changing into something more attractive? Or is what I got on, good enough?" She averted her eyes away from the beautiful woman sitting next to her.

_'Did she just..'_ Santana frowns at Rachel and held her gaze until the other woman broke it. The new revelation about Rachel makes Santana looks at her in a bit differently; she's no longer the hopeless diva Santana always thought she was. Santana scans Rachel's body, _'No, I'm just looking at her clothes.'_ She thinks and quickly stands. "The pants can work, but you need a new shirt and heels. Do you have anything or you want to look in my closet?"

Rachel got up and walked to her wardrobe, "I think I might.. I could go with a spaghetti strap top that's sorta tight around the waist, but not enough to suffocate me." She pulled out the top and placed it on one of the doors to her wardrobe.

"That will work. I'm going to take a shower. You'd be ok?" Santana holds the doorknob and looks at Rachel.

"Yes, I'll be fine." Rachel nodded and went back to her wardrobe to look for a pair of heels to wear.

* * *

An hour later, Rachel and Santana are sitting with their drinks in a nearby club. They got ready pretty fast and went out because they can't stay out too late; Rachel need to wake up early the next day. Santana changed her shirt and pants for a dress and put heels on and she was ready when the cab driver called to tell her he arrived. Now, they're drinking and looking at the crowd dancing.

Rachel did her best to keep the drinks at a minimum because of her job the next day, her head was lightly bobbing to the music that plays, "You know, it's actually kinda nice to be here.. Well, with someone I do trust." She said as she patted Santana's shoulder. "Thank you."

"That's the least I can do." Santana smiles at her, "It's been ages since I've been in a straight club," She looks around and tapping the table in the same rhythm as the music, "I'm still sure I can get every girl here." She smirks as her eyes scan a group of girls in the corner, "But don't worry, Rachel, it's us tonight."

"Well, you have me tonight, babe." Rachel joked as she nudged Santana gently. "Seriously though, I don't know if there would be anything for me here." She mentioned while sighing softly, Rachel looked around once more just to be sure that there was nothing there for her.

Santana laugh and nudge Rachel back. She looks around for a few second, "You're probably right, they all look too sleazy for you. I guess you're stuck with me, Berry." Santana place her hand on Rachel's thigh and squeeze. "Want another drink?"

Suddenly a man with short brown hair approached the two girls, gave them a smirk, followed by a wink. "Hey, how are you two lovely ladies doing?" He asked as he raised a brow a couple times.

Santana raising her eyebrow in return and gritting her teeth; this is not a part of her plan for their evening. But she thinks that maybe Rachel would be interested, so she shuts up and hopes he'll be gone.

"We are doing fantastic; good drinks, and better friends. How 'bout you?" Rachel asks in a sarcastic tone; she was hoping that this wouldn't happen, but not everyone gets what they want sadly.

The man sat beside Rachel, continued his gaze at the div, "So, you two wanna do something?" He asked while giving a look of lust towards the girls.

Rachel looked at the man, then looked over at Santana. "Hey Santana, the man wants to know if us two wanna do something.. How about we go to our car, or our neighbors' car and make out." She snickered a bit; clearly the alcohol was getting to her.

The guy raised his eyebrows, getting a bit excited at the thought, "C-Could I watch?" He asked while gripping his seat.

Santana lays her arm around Rachel's shoulder and brings her closer to her, "Did that ever worked for you?" Santana is naturally rude to people she doesn't know well, so when she's drunk it's only gets worse, "Do you really think two, hot, girls like us will ever allow you to come near us?" Santana chuckles, "You're lucky to still have all your organs intact."

Rachel leaned back against Santana, raising her hand to place it on Santana's cheek, she leaned her head up a bit to place a quick kiss on the side of her mouth, "That's about as good as you will get, creepo." She looked at the guy, doing the double brow raise that he had done moments ago.

The guy scoffed and got off the stool, "Fucking dykes I swear.." He looked over at the two, now disgusted by them, "You two aren't even hot, you're probably easier than turning on a TV." He barked out towards Rachel and Santana.

Santana's breathing hitched when she felt Rachel's lips on her skin, but her body got warm from a totally different reason. Santana jump to her feet and stands between Rachel and the man. The alcohol, already in her system, making her even more confident than she already is. "Oh, guess you'd never find that out, dickhead! I'm going home with her and what we'll do, you can only imagine," Santana gets almost in his face, "Now, I dare you to say one more word to her! It'd be my pleasure to kick your sorry ass!"

Rachel got up and pulled Santana back "S-San, no, let's just get out of here. Let's go somewhere that this guy won't be at." She pleased while holding Santana's hand as tight as she could, "Please.. He's not worth getting angry over, it's our night, remember?" She placed her other hand on Santana's cheek, gently making her look at her.

Santana takes a couple deep breaths to calm herself down, her eyes locked on Rachel's brown ones. Thankfully, the woman brings her back from her dark place and she gains her control again, "You're right, Rach. Let's get out of here." She pushes Rachel in front of her and put her hands on her waist; just so she can protect her until they're out of there.

Once they got out of the club, Rachel turned to look at Santana. "So, where do we go now?" She asked, biting her lower lip and looking around for a few moments. _'I can't believe I almost fully kissed Santana.. What the hell is the matter with me?'_ She started to blush a lot.

Santana looks at the club's door a little longer before letting go of her anger. She checks the time and sees that they still have plenty, "I know a place where we'll be left alone to enjoy our drinks. Let's take this cab." Santana point at the yellow vehicle not far from them.

Rachel kept her blush going, and she couldn't stop it; there were emotions going through her head that she could not grasp._ 'What the hell, Berry? I know you saw Santana attractive when she stood up for you.'_ She gulped at bit at the thought.

"Come on, Rachel, calm down." Santana says, walking beside Rachel to the cab, "I'm furious too, but you're getting really red. We're going to enjoy the rest of our night, I promise." Santana opens the door for her friend and wait for her to get in.

"Y-Yeah.. Anger.. Right.." She laughed as she got in the cab, moved to the other side, then put her seat belt on. "I am gonna rest my eyes for a few, is that okay?" Rachel asked, followed by a gulp. "Please?"

"Yeah, of course." Santana says to Rachel and gives the driver the address. Now in the quiet cab, Santana can fully grasp what happened just minutes ago. It wasn't new for her to have some idiot hitting on her and speaking to her like that, but having Rachel there made it different. Santana couldn't understand why she felt the need to protect Rachel like that and why that simple kiss made her body temperature rise. The only answer she's willing to accept, and even think of, is alcohol.

Rachel rested her eyes, just trying to rid her head of any attractive thoughts towards Santana, but it wasn't working out in her favor, and her head was filling with more emotion when she felt her hand on Santana's. Her eyes shot open, and she moved her hand a bit. "S-Sorry."

The Latina looked between Rachel and where her hand was, then tried to smile, "It's o-ok." She looks out of the window, but she's too busy with her thoughts, _'I'm not even going to think about it. Friends are off boundaries, I should know that better than anyone.'_ She nods to herself and see the familiar sign of the club. Santana pays the driver and gets out of the door, waiting for Rachel to follow.

Rachel gets out, looking around once more, familiarizing herself with the area she's at. "Now this place looks somewhat nice." She said as she walked to Santana, wrapping one arm around her shoulder. "Oh, by the way, I will pay you back for the drinks, 'kay?" she slightly slurred a bit but kept a somewhat sober presence about herself.

Santana giggles at her not-so-sober friend and walks to enter the club. "Hey, Jess." She greats the bouncer with her usual cocky-look.

"Hey, Ms. Lopez, nice seeing you tonight. A new client?" The woman looks at Rachel.

Santana shakes her head, "No. I just wanted to take my friend to a quiet place where no one will harass us."

The bouncer nods, "You know everyone here loves you, you'll the privacy you want. Have fun."

"Thank you." Santana squeeze Rachel's side, "Let's go in, maybe order you water." She bites her lips not to laugh.

Rachel was slightly nervous, but she shrugged it off and focused more on Santana. "So, like.. This is where you work? And have fun, doing it? And stuff?" She asked while holding on to Santana. "That's s.." She held the_ 's'_ down for a few moments. ".. _So_ cool!" Rachel let out.

"Cool? That's not what I expected to hear. I like this side of you." Santana clears her throat and find them a table, "This is only the bar. The real fun is behind those doors." Santana points at the huge black doors on the other side of the place. "But here no one will bother you.. I mean us." Santana is starting to think she might drank too much as well, the word just keeps floating out of her mouth.

"That's good, and all of a sudden, I am hungry." Rachel held her stomach as she sits at the table Santana found, "So much so, that I could eat a cow.. Then feel bad about it after." She pointed out.

Santana makes a mental note to get Rachel drunk more often; it was hilarious and nice to see her friend letting go. Santana snaps her finger and a waitress come to their table.

"Good evening, Ms. Lopez." The waitress doesn't look directly at Santana.

"We want two bottles of water, four shots and salad and grilled cheese. Thanks."

The young woman writes the order down, "I'll be right back." She says and walking fast to put their order in.

"That's not fair, if I have four shots, what are you gonna have?" She snickered at her comment, then moved some hair back. "Yeah.. I won't be able to teach shit tomorrow, I am too drunk right now.. I think I am a lightweight or something, because I don't think I had much at the other bar."

"They're not all for you, Rach." Santana states, "And you'll drink some water and eat, it'll help with the drunkenness and ease the hangover tomorrow." Now she turns to look at her friend, "And I don't want to hear any other complains and stop worrying; we're here to have fun!" Her tone firm.

"Yes sir!" She saluted then started to laugh some more. "I'm so.. So sorry, but damn, this place is really nice Santana. I don't know if this is the alcohol talking, but I wouldn't object to trying out some of this kink stuff.. I think it could be fun." Rachel expressed, as she leaned her head against her hand.

Santana blinked a few time, then smirks and shifts to get a better look at Rachel, "You don't say.." She's going to enjoy this, "You'd let someone have full control over you or would you be the one in control?"

"Depends on the person, example; Brittany, her cat dominates her just by looking at her. If she were around me in a sexual manner, I'd have her calling me Queen by the time I'm done." Rachel laughed for a few moments.

Santana isn't sure what surprised her more, the fact that Rachel actually answered her question or choosing Brittany, a woman, as an example. And the way she said it, Santana felt a shiver going through her body. "You're wasted, Rach." Santana looks around to see what's taking them so long to get them their order, "And you're totally a sub; I'd have you on your knees taking orders in a heartbeat." She says like it the most obvious thing in the world.

"I could see it, but with you it'd be different." Rachel slowly nodded, "Like.. It wouldn't last as long as either of us would like, either shorter, or longer, but it wouldn't go the duration we'd want it to." She scratched her head gently, sitting up to get a better look at Santana.

"Please, Rachel, I'm the queen at satisfying people. I can assure you it'd last as much as it needs to." Santana feels somewhat offended by Rachel's words, "Where is our damn order!" She gets on her feet just when the waitress comes.

"I'm sorry, Ms. Lopez, I-"

Santana sits back, "I don't want to hear it." She waves in dismissal, "You'll get your punishment another time. Now, leave." Santana turns to Rachel without a second look at the waitress, "No more alcohol to you. Eat and drink your water." She's saying, not leaving much room for arguments.

* * *

**_Meanwhile at Kurt and Blaine's apartment._**

Kurt was bobbing his head to Blaine's piano playing, at the same time he was making smoothies for him, Dani, and Blaine. Normally he'd make a more healthier drink, but because Dani was staying the night, Kurt felt that he could spoil himself to a sweet and sugary drink. "Okay, so who wanted the strawberry smoothie?" He asked.

"Me, please!" Dani says aloud and reach her hand for the sweet drink. She spent some time around the married couple in the last two weeks, they're the best friends of the women who took her in after all, and she grew to like them. And it was a long time since she had a sleepover, so Dani is happy.

"There you go, sweetie." Kurt handed Dani the strawberry smoothie, then picked up the other two that he made for him and Blaine, "Okay, you wanted the raspberry right?" He asked as he set a cup down beside Blaine.

Blaine picked up the smoothie, took a sip of it then glared at Kurt playfully, "This is blueberry, Kurt." He pointed out.

Kurt gasped "Oh no!" He placed one hand on his cheek as if he was surprised, then took a few sips of Blaine's drink before giving it to him, "This is raspberry for sure." He giggled as he took the blueberry drink back from Blaine.

Dani giggles at the couple and drinks her smoothie. "Now that you're done being sickeningly cute, what are our plans for tonight?" She grins at them and gets up to move to the couch.

"Well, we were going to do a little mini marathon of 'The L Word', but you're too young for that. So Blaine and I were thinking of doing a little.. Unplugged performance, maybe it could spark an interest in you." Kurt sat besides Blaine, "You could pick the song too, or we could talk about how you, young lady, are gonna be going back to school, and how exciting that is." He took a sip of his smoothie, smiling over at the young blonde.

"Are you nervous, Dani?" Blaine stopped playing the piano to focus his attention towards her. "I remember when I started at Dalton, it was scary being in an all boys school, but I grew to like it, mostly because of the choir. We were all about fun back then."

"Or we can skip the talk and watch 'The L word anyway?" Dani tries, but by the look the two men giving her she knows it won't happen, "Fine.. Yeah, I'm kinda nervous; it's been awhile and it's a new place and all.. " Dani takes a sip from her drink, "Rachel said it's a good school, so I guess it'll be ok."

"Well, it's fine to be nervous.. Hey, maybe you will be lucky and find someone you like a lot. Boy or girl." Kurt pointed out as he leaned a bit against Blaine, "And if you're like me, that one for you, will be singing a specific song to perfectly capture the emotion he feels for you." He looked up at Blaine, giving him a proud smile.

Blaine kissed Kurt's forehead softly, then looked over at Dani, "Believe it or not, I didn't expect to see him walk through the choir room doors when I was singing Teenage Dream, so it was like Lady Fate told Kurt to walk to that room, and obsess over me until I realize how much of a dummy I was, made a fool of myself at a JCPenny's, or some clothing store.." Blaine looked up at the ceiling in hopes to remember the store, but he shrugged it off, "Point is, she told Kurt to wait for me, and that's the best thing anyone can have happen to them."

Dani watch the couple interact and feels some kind of a pull in her stomach; she wants something like what Kurt and Blaine have, that can be amazing. She glance to her nail and starts to pick them, "I t-think our apartment, beside you two, is a free boys area." She's chewing on her inner cheek, waiting for their response; it's still nerve-wracking to come out, even if it's to a same sex married couple.

"Oh, well no matter, you will find some form of love." Kurt waved his hand. "Not that it's our business, but how did you end up at Rachel's anyways? We got a tiny tidbit of information from her, but nothing too detailed."

"Kurt, I don't think that would be appropriate to ask her." Blaine interjected in fear of Dani getting upset, "How about we do something out of the ordinary? My Monopoly box-set came in a few days ago."

Dani swallowed hard and nod in Blaine direction. She's missing having Rachel around her, she always makes her feel secure, but Dani knows Kurt meant well, she's just not ready to share her story with more people. She just wants to have a fun night.

Kurt saw the look in Dani's eyes, then nodded slowly, "Yes, let's play Monopoly, but first, I want to hear your voice." Kurt said as he stood up, looking down towards Dani, "Something tells me you got a good voice, and I'm curious as to how good it is.

""W-what? No, no way." Dani's body jerked away from them in to the other side of the couch and her face covered with blush, "Let's just play so I could kick you and take all you money."

"Dani, I know a bit about talent, more about fashion.. But a lot about talent, I've heard you sing when you leave the apartment on your own." Kurt walked over to the couch, sitting at the other end. "Blaine and I will not judge you, but I won't lie and say that I dislike what I heard come out of you. One song, you pick, and if you want to stop during, you can." He requested in a calm tone of voice.

"Look, Kurt, if she doesn't want to, don't make her." Blaine stood up and walked towards the couch, "You're scaring her." He pointed out.

Kurt looked at Blaine, "If you heard her vocals when they are quiet, you'd wanna hear her belt out some notes too." He pointed out, but Blaine didn't budge. Kurt looked back at Dani, "Okay, don't worry about it, let's play one of Blaine's million Monopoly games."

Dani sighs, "Ed Sheeran's Lego house, but just the first verse and chorus. Then we just play and you tell me more about Rachel and Santana. Deal?" She reaches her hand to Kurt.

Kurt shook Dani's hand, "Deal." He said with a smile on his face, "What's better is you got some decent taste, Lego House is my most played on my iPod." He explained.

Blaine shrugged, then walked back to his piano, when he got to it, he sat down, then started a slow introduction into the song, he softly hummed along to the tune as he waited to hear what Kurt was meaning.

Dani's body moves with the music. She's feeling nervous; she never really sang with people watching her, but a deal is a deal. She opens her mouth and sing along with Blaine's piano. Her eyes on the floor and her hands tapping on her legs. When the chorus hits, Dani lifts her head and, shyly, looks at Kurt.

Kurt leaned back against the couch, slowly nodding in approval,_ 'Okay, the talent that lives down the hall is greater than before.'_ He looked back at Blaine, doing a signal to stop the song, then looked at Dani, "Hon, you have more talent than you realize."

Tucking some hair behind her ear, Dani says a quick thank you and drink the rest of her smoothie. "Can we play now? And you owe me some info." She smiles playfully; the hard part is over, it's time to have fun and discover some more about her.. About Rachel and Santana.

"Finally!" Blaine let out as he quickly got up and walked to their room. Kurt chuckles, "Never mind my dork of a husband.." He shook his head as he sat up, crossing his legs, "What do you want to know about them?" He asked the young girl.

"Were they always like that?" The blonde asks as she's moving to sit on the floor, "They told me they went to high school together, did they acted like that back then, too?"

"Always like what? It was hard to get them on the same page 90% of the time in high school, hell Rachel was sorta mean back then herself." Kurt took a sip of his smoothie, "But that was high school Rachel. When she got older she slowly stopped being so obnoxious; it took me and Santana living with her to make her chill, but she eventually did." He looked over at Dani, nodding slowly, "As for Santana, when you first meet her she was like a wolf, or a lioness; feral towards anyone she didn't care about, but highly protective of her pack, or pride. She struggled with her sexuality, kinda like I did, I think that's why she and I got a long easier than her and Rachel.. She did go through a rough break up, and I don't think she's really been with anyone outside of her clients.." Kurt looked up trying to think of what else to say, "But one thing that they both have in common, is that when you get close, and they accept you, they won't ever stop caring about you."

Dani leaned on her hands and listened to Kurt. It was fascinating to hear more about the women she's living with and giving her home. Dani can totally imagine the Santana Kurt is telling her about; recent events show her just how protective Santana is, but it was interesting to learn she wasn't as confident with herself as she is now. The new details about Rachel, though.. Dani knows by know that Rachel let her feelings control her sometimes, but she never saw her as her being mean; even when Rachel was angry at her, she was always loving. She smiled at his last sentence; she still hadn't shaken the feeling that she might find herself on the street completely, but Kurt's words warmed her heart. She did get a lot of information, but Dani was still curious, "That's why they never been together? Because Santana had a girlfriend and then the bad break up?" The made some sense in her mind, though it's been years, Santana should've gotten over it.

"You know what they say, you can never truly get over your first love.. Santana had eyes on her best friend, unlike anyone has ever seen.. They broke up due to distance, she moved on rather quick, but Santana couldn't move on." Kurt pursed his lips, shaking his head once more, "Damn shame too, there were nights that I would leave some warm tea on the coffee table, and this was before I let her sleep on my bed with me. I'd leave it there for her, because she would always wake up feeling scared, not screaming, but just scared, like she knew she was going to be alone." He explained, "Rachel didn't think about those kind of night terrors, she had Brody at the time, but I knew just how much Santana was hurting, because I was hurting at the time, and I would wake up too.. So comfort from Santana was very assuring, even though she has legs like a soccer player because I can still feel the bruises from her kicking me off the bed in her sleep." Kurt started to chuckle some.

"Oh, wow.." Dani murmurs and gets lost in her thoughts. She's almost in tears thinking how much Santana got hurt; she's so used to her sarcastically, closed off self. And now, she can now make some more sense about Santana's hot and cold behavior lately. With Rachel, she can always tell how she feels, but Santana is a closed book; yeah, she's the 'cool parent', but Dani wants more than that with the woman. For both of their sakes. Suddenly Dani frowns and looks back up to Kurt, "That's exactly why they need to be with each other!" She states.

"Dani, speaking as a long time friend of theirs, those two world, may never collide.. I know Rachel probably better than anyone else, with Santana's job, she wouldn't last, she would do her best to make it last, but she would not last." Kurt regretted telling Dani that, especially when he too wanted his best friends to get together, "I.. I wonder if Blaine may have fallen asleep, he did work a lot today, so he probably is out.. Anything else you want to do?" He asked as he looked specifically at Dani's hair, "How about a new look for school?" Kurt suggested.

"As long as you don't turn me into a princess or something like that." Dani gives Kurt a pointed look and smile.

"I was thinking more along the lines of giving you a new hairstyle, you dork." Kurt returned the look as he stood up, "I have like, a closet full of hair dyes, Vogue sent them to me trying to promote their partnered company, then they figured out that they didn't need me to do that.. So I gotta use them when I can.. How would you like a different color?" He asked as he walked towards his room.

Dani jumped to her feet and followed Kurt, "That's so cool! Do you have pink? I'd be such a badass with pink hair!" The young girl almost jumps with excitement.

"I sure do, and yes you would look totally badass." Kurt smiled and nodded, "Let me grab the dye, and uh.. Go into the other room, that is where all the hair styling stuff is at, and.. Hey maybe find a hairdo that could work? If you want that is." He suggested before quickly making his way to his closet.

"Yeah, I trust you, Kurt." Dani then smirks, "Better not fail me and break my trust. You know I live with a wolf and she will come after you." She tried to sound threatening, but a giggle escaped her mouth at the end.

Kurt rolled his eyes as he checked each box for the right color _'Damn, I know I didn't use all the pink, it has to be here somewhere.'_ He thought to himself, _'Maybe they are on the bottom shelf..' _He kneeled down and looked a bit closer at the boxes.

"I think they care about each other more than they're willing to admit, or they're just blind." Dani starts speaking like the subject of the conversation never changed, "I live with them, I see things and they're a perfect match. Don't you think?"

"That's where the problem lies, they may seem perfect but they're stubborn as a bag of doorknobs." Kurt pointed out as he returned to Dani with the hair dye, "Did someone ask for pink?" He gave Dani a smile then walked to the spare room, opened the door then turned on the light, "I had the Vogue people come in and remake this room to give it a hair salon look." He explained.

"Yes! Let's do it!" Dani sits on one of the chairs and wait for Kurt, "I love how your apartment look, it's really nice." Dani looks around, then she remember what she really wanted to talk about, "Their chance of happiness is right in front of their eyes. They need to see it and do something." The young teen starting to feel a little frustrated.

Kurt handed Dani a couple style magazines, "Yeah, it's a little irritating that they don't see what we see." He said while checking to see if the sink in there worked. "Rachel realized she was gay 6 and a half years ago, and yet she hasn't been with anyone else since Brody, which saddens me." He continued then looked towards Dani, "Can you imagine being so hidden, for so long?"

Dani looks down for a moment; she always knew she was into girls, but the first time she ever kissed one, she got caught by her parents and was kicked out. So she understands the fear of letting people know, but now she knows it doesn't have to be the end of the world. Dani continues to flip through the pages, looking for the right look, "It sucks, for sure, but her best friends are gay and happy, that should count for something! We need to make them see, Kurt!"

"How?" Kurt asks as he walks back over to Dani, looking at some of the pictures she was looking at, "I mean, we don't even know how they feel for each other, what if they purposely thwart any of our attempts to get them together?"

"I don't know them for long, but two things are obvious; they're attracted to each other, and the second thing is that they're stubborn as fuck." Dani rolls her eyes and sighs, "But that's where we come in. Don't you want them to find love and be happy?"

"Does a bear shit in the woods? Of course I want them to find love and be happy, but like you said, they're stubborn." Kurt grabbed a sheet, placing it over his shoulder, "Around me, they act like they can't stand each other, so hearing from you that they act all lovey, kinda surprises me.

Dani hands Kurt the magazine to show him what she wants and see if her agrees,"They're not aware of their actions, it's not like they hug each other all the time." She leans backwards on the chair, "It's small things that they're just do for each other and the way they look at one another.. They're so used to be mean to each other, that's their way to show affection. Now, are you gonna help me or not?" She turns to look at him.

Kurt smiled and nodded in approval "Rachel and Santana will love your look, by the time I am done with you." he said as he took the magazine's and places them on the table. "Yeah, I'll help out, but we gotta be incognito about this partnership, okay?" he said while gently pacing the sheet over Dani.

"Of course, I don't need them getting upset at me and things getting awkward." Dani shakes her head and closed her eyes, "Now, when are you and Blaine going to have a baby?" Dani bites her lip so she won't smirk.

* * *

Rachel and Santana stayed at the club for one more hour; Rachel had to sober up. In that time they had more fun than in the rest of the night; they laughed, talked about Dani, reminisced. The two friends genuinely had fun together. When Rachel looked good enough to climb the stairs in their building, the women took a cab back home. On the way up, Santana made sure Rachel won't fall; she told herself Dani would probably hate her forever hate her forever.. She'd hater herself. They got in their apartment and Santana locked the door, while Rachel walked to her room, get a much needed sleep for the fresh start the next day. Santana rushed to Rachel's side before she could close the door and stopped her, "Hey, Rach?"Rachel and Santana stayed at the club for one more hour; Rachel had to sober up. In that time they had more fun than in the rest of the night; they laughed, talked about Dani, reminisced. The two friends genuinely had fun together. When Rachel looked good enough to climb the stairs in their building, the women took a cab back home. On the way up, Santana made sure Rachel won't fall; she told herself Dani would probably hate her forever hate her forever.. She'd hater herself. They got in their apartment and Santana locked the door, while Rachel walked to her room, get a much needed sleep for the fresh start the next day. Santana rushed to Rachel's side before she could close the door and stopped her, "Hey, Rach?"

Rachel looked at Santana with tired eyes, "Y-Yeah?" She asked, leaning against a wall, "What is it, San?"

"Did you have fun tonight?" In two days Santana had to face more emotions than in the last couple of years and she felt so far from her comfort zone. But some words had to be said.

"Well yeah, outside of that jerk, I had a blast, for the first time in 6 and a half years I was able to just go out.. I love Dani, to death pretty much, but it was nice to get out and hang out with another adult in a general adult place." Rachel happily expressed, then placed her hand on Santana's shoulder. "So, thank you, so very much."

Santana gulp, then smiled nervously, "I'm really glad to hear that, you deserve it after all you've done for.. Well, Dani and me." The fact that Rachel still a little intoxicated makes it easier for Santana to take down her walls for just a moment, "I want to say I'm sorry. For everything; for always leaving and being mean and make you do everything on your own. I'm just scared, and I know it's not an excuse now that we have a teenager in our home, but I'll do better." Santana's body starts to sway from side to side, she's getting really shy and she hates it, "I don't say it much and you know it's hard for me, but you're my best friend and I care about you. I want to be here for both of you, I am here." She tries not too look at Rachel, but the woman is so close to her.

"S-Santana.." Rachel furrowed her eyebrows worryingly, unsure how to react to her roommate's words. _'It's nice she's letting me know.. But now I feel a bit guilty..'_ she gulped a bit. "You d-don't have to apologize." she gave Santana a smile.

"Yes, I do. One of the worst things a person can do is take their friends for granted and I don't want to do this. We overcome a lot since I showed up at your door and I don't want to go back; you and Kurt are like my family. And I can tolerate Blaine.. Now we have Dani and she's our responsibility, so it's important you'd know that I'm here and you can trust me, with everything." Santana bites her lips and all she can hear now is her heart beating loudly in her chest.

Rachel was wanting to say something, but she couldn't form the words, like at all. She really just wants Santana to shut up at this rate, it pains Rachel to see someone she cares about in so much pain, to see Santana smile would make Rachel's night instantly better._ 'Fuck it..'_ Rachel thought as she cupped Santana's face, pulled her close and gave her a full-on kiss.

Santana's heart sill throbbing fast, but for a different reason. She gasps into the kiss and it takes her a few second before she closes her eyes and kiss back. Santana isn't sure if it's real; she never thought she'd kiss Rachel, but it feels so nice and her lips are plump and soft. Santana grabs the hem of Rachel's shirt and pulls her closer, giving her lips two gentle bites before taking them between her own again. It's been so long since she felt like that, but kissing Rachel calms her down.

Rachel kept herself pressed against Santana, her heart throbbing as fast, and quite possibly for a reason even she couldn't explain.. Why would she want to explain? Rachel gently opened Santana's mouth with her tongue, and lightly touched the Latina's tongue. But realizing what she was doing, her hands began to shake a bit, she regretfully stopped kissing Santana, her eyes were a little wide due to what she had just done, "I-I.." She stutters.

Uncontrollably, Santana licked her lips. She blinks, still feeling the buzz from the kiss. Rachel's words disrupt the haze in her mind and she lower her eyes to look at the woman, "N-No, it's not a big deal, don't worry about it." She might not be fully sober, but she knows Rachel can freak out and it'd hurt their friendship, "Please, don't let it ruin everything." Everything in her tells her to run and do it fast and go far, but something holds her down.

Rachel partially smiled, "Yeah.. I must be out of it.. So.. I will see you tomorrow?" She couldn't explain why she asked such an obvious question, but it was out there.

"Yeah, I'll be here." Santana smiles, "Good night, Rach."

"N-Night.." She turned away from Santana, walked to her bed, took her glasses off, then laid down._ 'Oh.. This isn't going to end well.. Is it?'_ She blushed quite a bit.

* * *

**Tell us what you think about our three main ladies, Dani's friendship with Kurt and their plan and of course, Rachel and Santana.  
**

**'till next time.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Written with Nephewsinxx.**

* * *

Kurt walked into the apartment; he had the key they left with him, Blaine and Dani. Kurt set the key on the counter and looked around at their living room. _'It's sad; I almost expected things being tossed around, and well.. Feeling like sex, but it doesn't, it feels like regret..'_ He shook his head as he walked into Rachel's room, plopping beside Rachel's sleeping body, crossing his legs as he took a sip of his coffee.

Rachel felt movement, she groaned a bit and looked up to see Kurt happily sipping his coffee. She sat up a bit, keeping her eyes fixed on her friend, "I know I got all sorts of drunk last night, but don't tell me I came on to you, and succeeded.." Rachel pleaded as she held her stomach.

"You wish." Kurt rolled his eyes and handed Rachel an iced coffee, "I took Dani to school for you; I figured since you were hanging with Santana last night, you'd feel miserable in the morning.. Looks like I was right." He smirked.

Rachel growled at Kurt, sipping her coffee, "Thank you.. It means a lot that you did that." She sighed as she reached out to her nightstand, "S-So, what all did you guys do last night?" Rachel asked while putting her glasses on.

Kurt jumped a bit at the question, "Well.." He gulped. "We sang Lego House by Ed Sheeran.. Blaine fell asleep while going through his Monopoly boxes." He looked up at the ceiling nervously, "And.. I kinda, sorta, possibly, maybe, some other word for potentially, gave Dani a bit of a make over.." He shyly confessed, giving Rachel an innocent smile.

"You did what?" Rachel sat up on her knees, trapping Kurt from getting up, "What kind of makeover Kurt? What did you do to Dani?" She started to get defensive.

"L-Look, she picked the hairstyle, I complied." Kurt pulled his phone out, showing Rachel a couple pictures of Dani's new hairstyle, "She doesn't look bad at all, and the principal actually was cool with it." He tried to reason with the diva.

Rachel growled a bit more, "Dammit Kurt, I could kill you right now!" She sat beside him once more, giving off an angry pout, "I can't believe you did that, do you not realize that as a teenager appearance is everything?"

Kurt gave Rachel a sarcastic look, "No, I thought that feelings, and passion mattered." He shook his head. "What do you take me for? An idi-" Rachel pushed him off the bed. "Ow!" He glared at his friend. "Okay, I am sorry for doing this without your permission, but she was happy with it, you should have seen how tight she hugged me for giving her a new look.." He stood up, rubbing his thigh.

On the other side of the apartment, Santana groan loudly; she's exhausted from the previous night and her head hurts. She thought Rachel and Dani will be out most of the day and she could sleep all day. A loud noise woke her up and by the sound of it, there are still people there. People she's going to hurt badly for interrupting her beauty sleep. Santana gets up and drags her legs towards Rachel's room, seeing both her roommate and Kurt there, "Why the hell are you making so much noise so early?! We don't live with you anymore, yet you still think you can just come in here!" Santana glance at the drink the other two are holding, "Oh, and thanks for the consideration.." She gets into Rachel's bed, still glaring at Kurt.

"First of all, you gave me a key, second of all, I got you a fucking coffee, it's sitting on the counter. And I wasn't trying to make a lot of noise; Rachel shoved me off the bed after I showed her Dani's new haircut." Kurt explained.

"Because you didn't ask me if I was cool with it!" Rachel spoke out, then held her head, "Ow.. No yelling.. Still, you didn't ask.." She softly spoke.

"The key was in case Dani needed something.. Wait, what do you mean a new hair cut?! What've you done to her?" Santana noticed her tone was loud so she quickly looks to the side and mumbles "Sorry.." To Rachel. It's then when she notices how close she sat next to her friend; she blush just a little bit and scoots away from her. "Where is she anyway?" Santana looks between her friends.

Kurt chucked the phone over to Santana, "Also I took her to school, don't worry I covered for Rachel, no thank you's are needed." He responded with sarcasm as he sat at the edge of the bed. "I came by to drop off your guys' coffee, and the key, then I was going to head out after Rachel was all ready for work."

Santana looked at the picture and smiled, "She looks so pretty. It wasn't cool of you to do it without asking us first, but I got to give it to you, Lady Hummel, it's a nice hair cut." She throws the phone on the bed, near Kurt, and gets up, "I'm going to get my coffee."

"Thank you, Satan." Kurt grabbed his phone, placing it in his pocket. "Anyways, how did your guys' night go?" He laid his head on Rachel's lap, looking up at the ceiling out of pure boredom.

Rachel blushed at the question; she may have drank a lot that night, but there was one thing she remembered vividly, the kiss. "It uhm.. It went good for the most part; there was this jerk that hit on me and Santana.. And I remember being at a quiet bar with her.. I had a salad I think.." Rachel explained while scratching her head.

Santana comes back and lay on the bed again, "Take this." She hands Rachel an Aspirin and kept on drinking with her eyes closed.

Kurt kicked his legs over Santana's, he gazes over at the Latina with a smirk. "So, some jerk gave you trouble?" He chuckled softly, "Where all did you guys go? You just drank? Didn't go and do anything spectacular?" Kurt rested his head on his arm as it rested on Rachel's leg.

Rachel took the aspirin and just kept quiet about the night; she honestly didn't want Kurt in the room right now, but being mean isn't something she likes to do intentionally, even if it's one of those things she's able to do.

"Hm, Excuse you!" Santana doesn't even bother to open her eyes, "We had a nice night, drinking and talking. I didn't want to overwhelm her." Then Santana thought,_'Though she overwhelmed me with that kiss. But I'm not thinking about it!'_ She took a big sip from her cup. "And I could tear him apart if Rachel hadn't stopped me."

Rachel held her head once more, lightly nudging Santana's shoulder, "Please, easy on your overly defensive attitude until after my hangover.. I feel like shit.." She leaned against her bed rest, taking another sip of her coffee, now she started to feel guilty for insulting Santana, "I am so sorry Santana, I shouldn't have gotten on your case.." She softly spoke.

Santana opened her eyes and turned her head to look at Rachel, unintentionally glancing at her lips. She quickly went back to her previous position and shrugged. _'What the fuck is wrong with you? Are you that needy that you're willing to risk your friendship with her? Friends are not allowed!'_ Her thoughts makes her headache worse; she holds the drink with one hand and with the other massaging her temple.

Kurt looked at his two friends; he knew something was up between the two, he's been around them long enough to be able to spot it._'They did something pretty strange last night..'_ He shrugged, then sat up, patted Santana's leg once, "Well, I gotta head to the office, I got an article to hype this years Winter Ball party, and I have to arrange the entire thing." Kurt explained as he got up from the bed. "Rachel, have a good day at work, I will come by the studio to drop off lunch in case you need it.. And Santana.. You should consider wearing a ring master suit to your next job, it could help spark more cash going your way." He suggested as he turned to leave the apartment.

"Did he just gave me a fashion advice f-for work?" Santana asks seriously, but then giggles, "How would've guessed.." She slowly gets up, holding her head in one hand, "Do you need anything? Are you well enough for work?"

"Yeah.. No.. I am confused, Santana.." Rachel frowned and looked down, "I.. Last night.." She tried to make sense of it; she figured she was just drunk and it was a small thing that would blow over, but Rachel really wanted more than just that kiss.. Specifically from Santana of all people.

"I'm sorry." Santana hurried to say, "I promised a few drinks and now you have a hangover.. That won't happen again; we have Dani, so from now on, no alcohol." She states. It's not like she doesn't know what Rachel trying to get them to talk about, she's just not going to let it happen.

"I guess it was the drinks.." She got up, slowly making her way to her bathroom, shutting and locking the door behind her, then she looked at herself in the mirror once more. _'You're not sexy enough Rachel! C'mon you look bloated!'_ Rachel shook her head "Shut up.. Shut up.." She uttered as her grip on the bathroom counter tightened.

Santana watched Rachel leave and sighed,_'It never happened, that's the best for both of us; I won't lose another best friend and like that I won't hurt her.'_ She makes her way back to her room to sleep some more, _'And she's straight! And I don't even have feelings for her!'_ Her eyes shut closed and she falls asleep.

* * *

Dani's first class just ended and she's headed to her locker. When Kurt told her, a few hours ago, that he'd take her to school Dani was kind of disappointed; she really wanted to see Rachel and Santana and show then her new hair cut and have Rachel take her to school. But Kurt was the next best thing; he made her lunch and make sure she's ok before he left. Until the end of her first class, things went smoothly; no one talked to her, but nothing bad happened either. That until Dani got to her locker. She opened it to put some books and took what she needs for her next class, but from nowhere, a few boys and girls approach her.

"You're new here, right?" One of the girls asks in a mean tone and Dani only nods; they don't look so friendly, "What with the hair, freak? You want everyone to look at you? Cause they do and let me tell you, they all think you're a weirdo."

"Yeah! What planet did you come from?" One of the boys said and they all laughed.

A young man walked the halls, wearing a black gothic overcoat, leather jeans, platform boots, and a fedora. He noticed some laughter amongst the kids in the school, so he followed it up to this girl with pink punk rock hair, and really saw nothing but awesomeness in this girl. "So, you're different, so hilarious." He rolled his eyes and glared at the other kids. "I am wearing platforms, tight leather pants, and a gothic jacket with glitter to top off my fashion.. Is that funny too?" He asked and crossed his arms, holding onto his book bag in case he needed to swing at some kids. Strangely, they didn't respond, they slowly left the two alone. "Sorry, the kids here can be jackasses.." turned to the young girl and smiled "Name's Elliot Gilbert, people around here call me Starchild."

Dani watched them leave and lift her eyes to the guy who helped her, "Thank you," She tells him shyly, "I'm Dani."

"Dani.." He looked up, bobbing his head to the idea of the name, "I like that name, it's punk-ish, but also badass in it's own right." Elliot held out his hand. "I know you're new here, but I like ya' already, also who dressed you, I want to know who to admire because you look awesome." He continued, amazed at Dani's outfit.

Dani giggles, "That admiration should be towards Auntie Porcelain, he works at Vogue." She leans on her locker and looks at Elliot's clothes from top to bottom, "And you look so cool! Are you an actor or something?"

"Well.." He rolled his eyes, leaning against a locker as well, "Not really, I just love dressing up. But I am a wicked, awesome singer, and I partake in a choir at this school." Elliot explained before looking at his watch, "Oh damn.. I gotta go, Dani. Class starts real soon, but we should hang out, maybe around lunch time I can introduce you to my best friend from choir." He gave a light shrug then turned to walk to class.

"Hm, yeah, bye!" Dani watches him leave,_'Did I just make a friend?'_ She smiles proudly at herself and walk fast to get to class on time. She gets there right when the teacher does and gets nervous; she doesn't want to get in trouble on her first day.

"Are you Dani, the new student?" The teacher asks her.

"Yes, sir." The old man nods and looks around, "You can sit there," He point to a table in the second row, "It seemed like Ms Rose's partner didn't show up today, not like it's new.." He walks to his desk and Dani to her place, "And next time be here on time, young lady."

"Y-Yes, I will." Dani sits and take her books and notebooks out, still feeling stressed.

The brunette looked over at the kid sitting next to her; mainly focused on the hair of this female. "I love your haircut.." She whispered to the other girl as she turned to face the front of the class.

Dani turns her head to the source of the voice, taking a first real look at the girl sitting beside her, _'Wow..'_ She gulp and tucks some hair behind her ear, "Thank you." Dani offer the other girl a smile and tries her best not to blush.

"Marley.." She whispers with a smile, she looked back at the girl, "What's your name?" She asks.

"Dani." She says and glance to make sure the teacher doesn't pay attention to them, "I hope it's ok I took your partner's place.." She says back to the girl when it's safe.

"It's fine, he didn't even do any work so.." Marley shrugged and listened to the teacher give his lecture. "This.. Is the most boring class on my schedule, seriously." She pointed out to Dani when the teacher wasn't paying attention.

"Really?" Dani chuckles, "Look at it like this; it's the class before lunch, so we can chill before our break." Dani tells Marley while copying from the board.

"It's nice that I get to see another familiar face during Lunch too." Marley expressed with a smile on her face. "I have a friend who easily has the most charisma in this school, and he pays for my lunch out of his own pocket, but has never told me why." She softly spoke.

"Oh, that's very generous of him." Dani was running out of things to say, but she wants to keep talking to this girl.

Marley kept her eyes on the teacher, patiently waiting for the lunch bell to ring. "He's repeating the same thing as yesterday, what the hell.." She rested her head against her hands.

Dani giggles softly, _'This is going to be a long year..'_

Eventually the class was over, the bell rang and kids were leaving the class. Marley stayed behind and waited for Dani, "So, Dani.. Since you're new here, people are going to want to take you to different clubs, everyone is an artist at this school, even the not so talented peeps." She shuddered at the thought. "But, I am sorta, kinda, part of a choir at this school. We do a lot of fun songs, not just classics." She explains.

"Oh, I d-don't know.." Dani feeling a little awkward, "My voice isn't that great.." She packs her things really quick, but she can't just get up and leave. Not that she really wants to or knows where to go.

"My voice is nothing special either, but just being part of a group that accepts you; I was willing to embarrass myself every once in awhile for 3 minutes." She grabbed Dani's hand, interlocking their fingers, "Come on, let's get some grub." She said as she started to walk with Dani.

"Hey Marls, I gotta introduce you to.." Elliot was breathing a bit from running, he saw that Dani and Marley were holding hands, "I see you two have met, and are friends, saves me time to introduce you two." He started to laugh a bit. "So, because you are new Dani, I will buy your lunch if you want, or did your Aunt make you something?" He raised a brow then held Marley's free hand.

Things happened so fast that Dani didn't even have time to think, and maybe it's for the best because she'd probably embarrassed herself in front of Marley, Now she can't really complain; she has two new friends to eat lunch with and they seem to like her. Dani laughs, "Yeah, he did. But thank you, it's very nice of you."

Elliot took the two girls into the cafeteria, "I will be back with our lunch, okay Marley?" He asked as he walked fast to the line, grabbing a couple trays.

"Seriously, I have never understood why he buys my lunch.." The brunette shook her head, then looked around for an empty table, "Let's see..." She said softly. "Ah-ha!" She found a table, then took Dani over to the table. "I like getting the smaller tables, since it's usually just Elliot and I."

"Are you two friends for a long time?" By now, Dani just follows Marley, "And you can always ask him, maybe he's just really friendly." She sits next to Marley and takes her lunch out; Kurt made her a turkey sandwich with mayo and some vegetables and he also put a soda in her bag. In the process, Dani notices a note, _'Go get them, girl!'_ and it makes her feel even better, things are going pretty good for her.

"Well, yes, he's my best friend, I think he still feels like he owes me for something that happened back in middle school.." Marley shrugs and runs one hand through her hair, "I don't think he'd like it if I told you, but let's just say he dealt with people, that were completely insensitive." She summarized it a bit for Dani's sake.

"Oh, no, I get it." Dani response, "But you moved pass it and you're close friend, so that's great." She didn't mean to turn it personal or uncomfortable for anyone and now she doesn't know what to say.

"Hey, Marley!" Elliot ran to the table, placing the trays down, "The lunch lady gave me two pizza's on one of the trays, wanna split it?" He asked then looked over at Dani, "Or do you want it Dani? It may not look it, but this school's cafeteria pizza is the bomb diggity." He says as he takes his seat. "It's probably the only good thing this school makes." Elliot laughs a bit.

Dani chuckles; Elliot just sends good vibes and it makes her smile. "Thank you, I think I'll be full by the time I'd finish this sandwich." She takes a sip of her soda, "So, does the school sucks real bad? And what you do here for fun?" Dani asks and keeps on eating.

"School sucks in general." Elliot pointed out, "But, this school isn't as bad as this one school I went to back when I lived in Jersey." He explained before taking a bite of his pizza.

"I am sorta in a band, well, I am in my own band.. A one woman band, and usually I do small gigs like birthdays, or store openings.. I did a wedding one time." Marley listed off what she does outside of school, "My voice isn't great, but people love a young girl with a guitar, it helped me raise money to pay for my therapist."

"Mm.." Elliot wiped his face, "You still see that snake? He's not making you better Marley, he's just sending you lies to try to get your money." His voice was firm, and somewhat irritated at Marley's ignorance.

Dani shifts uncomfortably in her chair. She's a little curious, but she doesn't want to pry; they just met and it's none of her business anyway. So she just keeps on eating her lunch and watching the two friends interact.

"Elli, you promised you wouldn't get on my case about it." Marley frowned and looked at her food, "He's the only one that's really talked to me about.. Him.. So yeah I think I will be spending my money on more sessions with this guy." She looked over at Dani then sighed, "Elliot, just please, be quiet about it around the new kid, she doesn't need to know my personal life." Marley pleaded as she looked over at Elliot.

Elliot sighed, "Look, I'm just looking out for you, you're like the sister I never had." He rested one leg on the seat, one arm on the table, and his head on his hand.

It got really awkward for Dani, she even preferred having lunch alone than be in this moment. She was starting to like the Elliot and Marley, but she needs to remember they're best friends and know each other for years and she's just the new girl. She tries to make herself busy, or at least looks like her attention isn't completely on them.

"Yo, Dani.." Elliot felt really bad for leaving her out, and bickering with his best friend right in front of her, "I am really, really sorry you had to witness that." He reached his hand out for Dani to grab. "Please don't let our.. For lack of a better word, bitching, change your opinion on us.." He bit his lower lip.

Marley looked up at Elliot, nodded once, then looked back at Dani, holding her hand out. "It was insensitive of us to put you in such a predicament.." She frowned some more.

Dani slightly shook her head, "No, it's fine." She gives them the best smile she can at this moment and reach for Marley's hand, but she really needs Rachel to hold her just for a little while. But she has to get through this day and she won't pass on having people to talk to for the rest of her time there.

Elliot scooted over towards Dani, wrapping one arm over her shoulder, "You know what, I got an awesome idea." He smiled at both the girls, then looked directly at Dani, "After school, Marley and I have choir, but afterwards if you want, we could meet up at the Music store, it's not far from here, and they got really good deals on equipment." He suggested

_'Did Elliot offered to meet after school?'_ A bright smile as she looks between her two pals, "I'd have to ask," She really wants to go with them, but knows she needs Rachel's permission, "Will it be ok if I'd let you know after I get home?"

"Yeah, would you need someone to walk you home? I can skip choir for the day and make sure no one messes with you." Elliot suggested then looked at Marley, "If so, could you cover for me Marls?"

Marley gave him a playful look of derision, "Okay, but you gotta buy me a new set of guitar strings." She said before getting up to take hers and Elliot's trays to get cleaned.

Dani's eyes lingered on Marley a few seconds more than they should've, but then she turns to Elliot, "You don't have to, I don't want you getting in troubles because of me." Though, the truth is, Dani wants him to walk her; she's having a pretty good day and she doesn't want anyone to ruin it.

"Oh please, I won't get into any trouble. I will meet you over by the gym at the final bell, then you can lead me over to wherever you live." Elliot scooted back to push himself up. "Then hopefully your parents are cool with you hanging out."

_'My parents..'_ Dani sighed in content; first time in a long time that this word comes with good associations. Rachel and Santana takes care of her in all the areas and loves her, that's what parents suppose to do. "I'm sure they will." Dani gets up as well and the three of them are going to their classes.

* * *

Rachel's first day was, more or less, exhausting; she never once in her life realized how difficult it was to be a dance instructor. Especially in the city where damn near everyone wants to be a star, in fact, if it wasn't for Kurt bringing Rachel lunch that day, she'd probably would have lost her stuff on the students. The diva walked in, then flopped onto the couch, just tired of that day, and even more so of being alive at this rate. This was because all she had thought about was the kiss, feeling Santana's lips on hers, and how much of a benefit it would be for Rachel right now to feel them again. _'Water.. That's a must.'_ she thought as she rolled off the couch, slowly standing up, then trailed over to the kitchen.

Santana is sitting in her room, trying to get her computer to work properly so she could reply to some emails and work on her sessions. She managed to sleep for the rest of the morning, but now she has to work and the damn thing isn't moving It made Santana angry to the point of almost throwing it to the wall. Instead, the Latina gets up and walks to the living room, where Rachel's laptop is, "Rach, I'm using your computer, ok? Mine is dead." She says loud enough for her roommate to hear, but doesn't wait for an answer and flips the screen up.

"Yeah, sure, go ahead." Rachel mumbled as she grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge._'She really needs to.. Wait, my computer.. Oh fuck..' _Rachel's face lit up, she was scared of what Santana would find in her internet history, _'Well, it's not like she hasn't seen worse..'_

"Yeah, sure, go ahead." Rachel mumbled as she grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge._'She really needs to.. Wait, my computer.. Oh fuck.' _Rachel's face lit up, she was scared of what Santana would find in her internet history_, 'Well, it's not like she hasn't seen worse..'_

Santana's clicked on the already open, but minimized, window and raising her eyebrow. "What the.." She scrolls down for a second and check the previous pages,_'No, not an ad.' _She turns to Rachel, who still in the kitchen, "Is there something you want to share, Ms. Berry?" A playful smile on the Latina's face.

"J-Just research.. That's all." Rachel looked away from Santana, gulping down more of her water. _'Research? Really!?'_ She stopped drinking her water, sighed, then looked at Santana, "I wasn't kidding when I said I wanted to maybe.. Try.. Okay?"

Santana pushed away the small excitement she's feeling. This is too priceless to pass, "This isn't porn." She points on the screen, "You only had sex like, what, four times? Boring, vanilla sex and now you want to get kinky? Do what someone tells you, get punished, lose your control?" Santana intended to sound challenging, but she couldn't control the slight shift in her tone at the end of her sentence; it was just a little lower than normal.

"Actually.. Once.. And you know what? This could be a benefit, it could raise my tolerance for pain, that way if I take a spill, I won't be as hurt as I normally would." Rachel felt like an idiot for explaining it that way, but she was in the right frame of mind, sorta. "Look you seem to sleep better every night you go to your club, so why shouldn't I give this a shot?" She asked.

"It's not spinning or yoga, it's rough, painful sex, even humiliating at times." Santana sighs; she knows once Rachel wants something she won't stop, "Come here." She taps the space beside her, close the computer and return it back to the table.

Rachel walked to Santana, "Santana, you've been in plays before, you know how ruthless the rehearsals are, I think I could handle this." She said with all the confidence she could muster.

"You're teaching now; you're going to get sore and be tired as fuck so you'd sleep good at night.," Santana shifts and sits Indian style, her body facing Rachel, "People come to these clubs for sexual reasons. Yes, it helps in other areas, but you need the desire for it." She tries to explain the best she can, "You're not going there, get a few smacks on your ass and leave. It's a process and it's involves lots of trust and patience and giving up your ego.."

Rachel sighed, "Fine, I won't bother with this. Happy?" She asked in a sarcastic tone of voice, then walked to her room. _'Seriously, it can't be that bad..'_ She shook her head in disbelief.

"Rachel, come back here, right now!" Santana yells, not bothering to move.

Rachel stopped in her tracks, she wasn't one to enjoy being demanded. "Excuse me?" She turned to her roommate, "First of all, if you want something, at the very least ask. Not demand." She walked to Santana with her arms crossed, "Also who the hell are you to boss me around?" She continued.

Santana chuckles, _'And she wants to try d/s..'_ She shakes her head, "Just sit down. Stop running away. I wasn't saying you can't or shouldn't do it, I'm just letting you know what it takes so you won't be surprised or scared." Santana rolls her eyes; she doesn't understand when she started to care that much, "Those site suck, I live it, let's talk."

"Fine." was all Rachel said as she sat down beside Santana, and looked at her._'You already implied that I didn't have what it took, why should I stay?'_ She sighed, "What do you want to talk about? What do I need to be able to do this?"

"Just so you know; if you were my sub, you'd get punished so badly for taking off and talking back." Santana couldn't help it; it was the truth and she enjoys teasing Rachel. But as soon as the words left her mouth, Santana felt a rush of warmth through her body.

Rachel kept quiet, she was already mad enough at Santana for in a way shooting her down after the kiss, and on top of that, insulting her. She was doing her best to not bring it up too, it's hard to not though. Rachel, almost, possibly, kinda had a thing for Santana.

Santana frowns, she expected some sort of reaction. She sighs, "Ok.. So I can help with setting it up for you if you want, but I need you to be sure. No one will force you to do anything, but it'd make it a lot easier if you'd know what you're getting into. So, I'd be looking for a Master or a pet?" Santana assume she knows the answer, but she annoyed Rachel enough for now and she does want her to feel at ease talking about it.

"I am a perfectionist.. Or I'd like to think I am, start me off as a pet." She shrugged, for some reason her heart snapped the second she answered that question., _'My chest hurts now.. Ow..'_

Santana licked her lips; the thought of Rachel on her knees does something to her. "Y-You'd go through training at first, after submitting the list of things you wouldn't want to do. Probably get punished a lot and get really frustrated, but once it's over, it gets much better." She moves her hand through her hair, "I know a good straight club, I can arrange their best master for you."

Rachel's eyes widened a bit, "Y-Yeah, straight club.." She gulped. _'Santana, you're so fucking clueless!'_ Rachel nodded even though it pained her to do so; she didn't want Santana to know, so this was what she had to deal with.

"What? I'm trying to help, but if you don't me involve I'll stop." Santana is getting confused, "But you want it or not, I'd still get you the best." She turns to the TV, grab the remote and looks for something to watch.

Rachel looked at the floor for a few seconds, "I am.." she gulped then looked over at Santana. "I'm gay." She confessed, almost flinching at the thought of what Santana would do, knowing her job.

Santana's head snaps to the side, her brain automatically wants to say something she knows isn't right. She takes a deep breath, then talk, "G-Gay? Ok.. Is that because what happened?" She didn't want to talk about it, but maybe they had to if it's affecting Rachel like that.

"I was confused for awhile, but my realization kinda came clear after Brody.. I tried dating but every time it got.. Down, I would push the guy away, would not touch another man in that way, pretty much I was done with men." She explained to her roommate. "It's crazy I know.."

_'You're such an idiot..'_ Santana mentally slaps herself. She put her hand on Rachel's and squeeze it, ignoring the electricity she's feeling, "I'm sorry, Rach. And I get it. Thanks for telling me, you're even more brave than I thought."

"I wish I were brave.." Rachel softly spoke out, "I've kept that secret for 6 and a half years, Santana.. Only Kurt knew.. Then I told Dani a few days ago.. I was scared to tell you because I didn't know how you'd react." She admitted while running one hand through her hair, "I have more skeletons in my closet than that, and these are kinda.. More serious.."

"I wasn't the best friend to you; yeah, we had our moments, but until recently, we weren't that close." Santana admits, "To be honest, it's probably good that you didn't tell me before.." She lower her eyes to the floor for a second, "But things are different now, ok? I'm still me, but I won't do anything to hurt you. You can trust me."

Rachel leaned against Santana gently, "I hope so.." she closed her eyes, trying to relax from all the stress that day has given her. _'I really hope so..'_ Rachel clenched her eyes shut.

"Relax, Berry, we're all gay here." She nudges her shoulder, "So, I guess, I can just take you to my club. That's actually perfect! I know the perfect one for you, if you want." Santana takes her phone out to look at her schedule.

"Wait, what?" Rachel raised herself up a bit. _'Perfect one.. You?' S_he raised a brow. "W-What do you mean by that?"

"My friend, Ashley, she'd be perfect for you; she won't break you and give you what you need." Santana feels proud of herself, "We can go this weekend; Dani can stay with Kurt and I can wait for you there."

"I think Kurt and Blaine are going to be busy though, Kurt was talking about this big dinner he was hosting at his apartment, you think that'd be a good idea to put Dani through that?" Rachel stood up, now feeling more nervous than before.

"Ok.." Santana gives Rachel a weird look, "So, sometime this week, Kurt seemed to be ok with taking D to school." Santana turns around and lean on the back of the sofa to look at Rachel, "Ashley is hot and great. She's the only one I trust you with."

Rachel gulped as her face lit up a noticeable amount. _'I am going to be having sex again.. Why do I feel guilty..'_ She thought to herself. Rachel walked back to the kitchen, grabbed her water bottle and started to drink til there was none left.

Feeling they were done with the emotional part, Santana smirks at Rachel, "You know, Rach, cause it's been a while and you want to enjoy the night and not disappoint, you should work on yourself." Santana can barley hold the laughter, "You know, get rid of the dust."

Rachel blushed and glared at Santana, "R-Really?" She huffed then stormed away to her room, feeling embarrassed that Santana would say such thing.

"Rachel!" Santana tried to reach for the woman, but she was too far and too fast, "Come on, don't be so serious!" She rests her head on the sofa and laugh hysterically.

At that moment Dani enters the apartment looking tired, but happy. She put her key on the counter and her bag next to it, she raises her eyebrow at Santana.  
"What's going on here?" Dani's eyes are searching for Rachel, then she notices the closed door of her room, "What have you done to her, Santana?"

"Me?!" Santana stops laughing, "It's not fair you're taking her side, I was only trying to help." And the laughter continues.

Dani glare at Santana, "You're here, laughing, and she's in her room and the door is closed." Dani shifts her eyes to Rachel's door, "Rachel, I'm home!" She yells, knowing Rachel would come out if she hears her.

Rachel quickly walked out to Dani's voice, wrapping her arms around the young pink haired girl. "Oh, honey I missed you." She exclaimed happily. "Also don't worry about what Santana did, what she did is irrelevant to the good vibes I feel right now." She kissed the top of Dani's head, upon doing so she noticed a young boy by her door, "Uhm, Dani.. Who is that?" She pointed towards him.

Elliot was filing his nails when he heard Rachel direct her attention at him, "Huh?" He looked over at Rachel, "Me?" He asked as he pointed to himself.

"Who are you, and why are you looking into my house?" Rachel asked in a defensive tone.

The young man waved his hands and laughed innocently, "I am just a friend of Dani's from school, I walked her home since it was on my way to the music store." He nervously scratched his arm.

Santana didn't even notice someone else was there, but when Rachel acknowledged him, She turned to look at him, sizing him from top to bottom; he looks decent enough to be around Dani. "A friend? Good for you, D!" She smiles at the young teen, "And you look so pretty with the new hair cut."

Rachel let go of Dani then walked over to the young man, scanning his entire body, to be honest, she loved his outfit, but needed to keep a motherly demeanor around Dani. "Your outfit... Raises one question.. Who do you prefer, Janet, or Dr. Frank N Furter?" She had a gut feeling about Elliot, but she wanted to be sure.

Elliot smiled a bit, "Is that a trick question? Frank N Furter is a flawless piece of man." He said with such confidence, "Also, Angel is my favorite character in Rent, just throwing it out there." Elliot crossed his arms, keeping a smile on his face.

Rachel's stone like expression turned calm and soothing, "Welcome to our home, I am Rachel Berry, and the beautiful Latina woman on the couch, is my roommate Santana Lopez." She took a few steps back and bowed in respect.

"Wait, Rachel Berry, as in Fanny Brice? The reincarnate of Barbra?" His eyes widened in excitement. "Oh my god, I am a huge fan of yours!" He exclaimed while covering his mouth. "Dani, you didn't tell me your mom is _the _Rachel Berry."

There are two confused women in the apartment right now. Santana was taken aback by how Rachel introduced her, especially after she seemed to be offended by her joke. But the Latina remained quiet, letting Rachel be the momma bear she clearly is.

Dani was confused by a different reason. Yes, it didn't go unnoticed that Rachel called Santana beautiful so openly, but that can wait for her strategy talk with Kurt. Dani wasn't sure what Elliot is talking about. She raises her eyebrow and looks at Rachel; for explanation and to save her from this awkward moment.

Rachel rolled her eyes, "I am not that amazing." She said while walking to the counter, sitting at one of the bar stools, "But it's always nice to meet a fan, especially someone who followed my work from so long ago."

Elliot was just excited, someone he idolized as a pre-teen, was standing right in front of him, "I really hate to gush, but you look more amazing than you did during your first performance as Fanny Brice." He held his hands together trying his best not to get overly excited.

"You must stop, you boosted her ego quite enough." Santana interferes, "What are you doing here, anyway, kids? Don't you have something cooler to do rather than to us, old people?" She looks between Dani and Elliot.

Dani glared at Santana before turning to Rachel, "Actually, we came here so I could ask you if I can go with Elliot and his friend, Marley, to the music store for a little while?" She smiles and gives Rachel her best puppy-dog eyes.

Rachel looked at Elliot very closely, then back at Dani, "Well, I was going to make dinner, but I think tonight since it was your first day of school, I think we can order out.." She smiled a bit. "Be back by 8:15, not a minute later." She hugged Dani once.

"Thank you, Rachel!" Dani hugs back tightly, she missed Rachel so much during the day. "Bye, Santana, be nice to her!" Dani says and moves to the door, "Lets go, Elliot!" She's excited to do be a regular teen again.

* * *

Dani and Elliot talked all the way to the music store and got there rather quickly. Elliot was overbearing, he didn't snoop and asked questions about her family situation. Dani believed they can become really good friends. They entered the store and saw that Marley is already there, looking around. Dani walked a little behind Elliot, feeling her cheeks burning uncontrollably.

Marley looked over at the two, smiling quite a bit, "Hey you two." She gave Elliot a quick hug, then bowed lightly towards Dani. "I was just checking out the various CD's they had here." She explained nervously.

"I will let you two browse, I need to check out some electrics." Elliot patted Marley's shoulder then walked over to one end of the store to look at the electric guitars.

The brunette chuckled softly, "I guess it's just us right now." She looked at Dani, her hand slipping into the pink haired girl's hand, "Come on, let's find something cool."

It's kind of hard for Dani to concentrate with her hand tangled in Marley's, _'What if my hand starts sweating? Am I holding too tight?'_ Her thoughts are everywhere. Dani looks around, checking the CD's on the shelf, until her eyes locks on a beautiful acoustic guitar; it wasn't something special, but it caught her 's until she feels a tug.

Marley took notice to Dani's gaze at a specific guitar, she too looked at it, leaned towards Dani, "It's a beauty isn't it?" She softly whispers. "I almost bought one of those myself, but I couldn't bring myself to do it.. A baby that nice, needs a passionate owner.." She expressed as she looked down at their hands._'I swear, I like this kid.. I hope she stays around..'_

"Yeah, she's looks amazing.." Dani looks from Marley to the guitar and back at the girl, "Did you find something you'd like to buy?" There was no point thinking about it, she can't afford it anyway.

"Do you play?" Marley asked, "You look really interested in her.. You should hear how she sounds." She suggested, letting go of Dani's hand. "Also, I am waiting on Elliot to be done with what he's doing, he owed me guitar strings for covering for him." Marley showed Dani the pack of strings she picked out.

"Yeah, right, I remember." Dani giggles, then bite her lip, "I haven't play in a long time, I probably suck now.." She missing the contact, but doesn't say anything, just cross her arms over her chest.

Marley reached up to grab the guitar, she grabs the neck, carefully bringing it down, then hands it to Dani, "Play for me, please?" Marley gave Dani some puppy dog eyes, "It would make me happy." She smiled some.

Dani can feel her cheeks are on fire and even though she's really embarrassed, she can't refuse the girl in front of her. Dani slightly nods and take the guitar, and when she feels comfortable with it in her arms, she starts to play a quiet melody. Her eye closed and she focused only on the playing, feeling the good energy floating in her body.

Marley smiled some more at how well Dani was playing, she felt good about being friends with this girl, and strangely enough, Marley could listen to Dani's guitar playing all day, and most of the night. "Is that what you call sucking?" She asked as she placed one hand on Dani's shoulder.

Dani jumps in her place; for a moment she forgot that she wasn't alone. And she can't think clearly around Marley and it makes her feel silly. Dani just smiles, she tries to say something, but only stutters. She places the guitar back in its place and shoves her hands in her jeans pockets.

Elliot walked over to the cashier when the girls weren't looking, "How much for that guitar?" He asked as quietly as he could.

"$150" The young man raised a brow.

"Is that with a case?"

"No"

Elliot observed how much Marley loved Dani's playing, he shrugged, then looked back at the cashier, "I want it, now." He spoke in a calm tone.

The cashier walked over to the girls, grabbing the guitar Dani was playing, took it over to Elliot.

Marley gasped, then frowned at the sight of the guitar leaving the two. She looked at Dani while furrowing her eyebrows, "I'm so sorry Dani.." She rubbed the pink haired girl's arm.

Elliot walked over to the girls, holding the guitar in his hand, "Hey, why the sad faces, ladies?" He asked while smiling. "Oh, Marley, I got your strings, they are in my backpack."

Dani looks wide eyed at Elliot holding the guitar, not understanding what's happening right now. She glance to Marley, but quickly back at Elliot, "W-what?"

Marley looked up at Elliot, surprised by his action, not that it was anything to complain about, she thought it was awesome of him to do so. "I forgot to mention, sometimes he can be too sweet for his own good." She looked at Dani with a smile on her face.

"That's taking it to a whole new level!" Dani chuckles, "I can't take, it's too much! We only know each other for a few hours." She's not used to people action like that towards her.

"Please, I insist you take the guitar, I get a good vibe from you, and I have a feeling we'll all be buds for a very long time." Elliot expressed, "So, take it, I don't want for me, I am an electric kind of guy." He laughed a bit.

"Wow, I don't know how to thank you." Dani is a bit overwhelmed; one minute she's on the streets and the now she has a family and friends, "You're awesome! I'll pay you back, somehow, that's my deal, Or else I'm not taking her."

"Tomorrow if Rachel takes you to school, or picks you up, have her sign my Funny Girl playbill? I have the first one she's ever done and it would look better with her signature on it." He started to walk with his arms around both his friends.

"An autograph from a random woman, for a $150 guitar?" Marley pinched Elliot's waist once, "You say I waste money." She gave him a some what dirty look.

"Hey, having a Broadway star sign a playbill is worth more than the guitar. Plus she's the reason why I came to New York in the first place." Elliot explained to the two.

"You came her cause of my mom?" Dani gasps, "You tell her that and she will love you forever!" Dani giggles. She also hopes it'd motivate Rachel to try and go back to acting, so it's perfect.

* * *

They made it over by Dani's apartment building, Elliot and Marley saying their goodbyes to Dani as she went inside. This day was eventful for the young woman, but in a good way. She walked up the stairs, gently gripping the neck of the guitar in her hand; she couldn't believe that Elliot bought her this guitar, and all she needed to do was get Rachel to sign an autograph for him, she found it more amazing than anything. Dani opened the door, seeing Rachel cooking food, even though she said she was gonna order take out, but she liked Rachel's cooking anyways, so it was all good. "Ladies, I am home? Look at me? Love me? I crave attention." She said in a playful yet sarcastic tone.

"Ugh, it was so quiet here, now you're back, little bra-" Santana looks from Rachel's computer to Dani, "What's in your hand?!" She gave Dani some money, but not enough to buy such a nice guitar.

"You like it?" she asked while holding it properly in her hands, "Elliot bought me this, and the only thing I need to do in exchange is give him Rachel's autograph." Dani said with excitement in her voice.

Rachel observed the two's interactions, curious as to why Elliot would be so nice to Dani, not that Rachel mind, but still, it was weird to her. "Honey, that's nice and all, but I wouldn't feel right with you having that for something as irrelevant as my autograph, there are better stars out there than me."

"Hey, none of this lack of self esteem shit." Santana closes the computer and takes a sit in one of the stools, "It's not good for the kid." She clarifies, "But I don't know how I feel with people giving you things."

Dani looked down then gently placed the guitar against the couch, "I will give it back to him tomorrow, that's assuming he takes it back." She said before walking to the kitchen table, sitting down on one of the chairs.

"Dani.." Rachel bit her lower lip and looked at Santana for a few seconds, then back at her, "Look, are you certain that all Elliot wants is my autograph?" She asked, placing her hand on the counter.

Dani slowly nodded.

_'I guess.. It wouldn't be so bad if she had something here to entertain herself.'_ The diva walked over to Santana, "I think maybe she should keep the guitar, she deserves something to keep her occupied, and she only really watches TV when me or you wanna watch TV, when we don't she sits there kinda bored.. It wouldn't be fair if we made Dani take it back.."

Santana looks at Rachel until she feels like she's drowning in her eyes. Rachel does make good points, Santana just scared about Dani's well being, "He looks like a nice boy, but I want you to be careful, ok, D?" She caresses the girl's arm, "If something doesn't feel good to you, you come talk to us. We're here to protect you." They had a few talks about all kinds of important thing over the week before school started, but Santana know it's important to say those things frequently.

Rachel gave the two a smile, then walked over to the kitchen, turning off the stove. "Okay girls, I made some pasta, with real grounded beef for you two, I am gonna be eating a salad." She said as she rummaged the cupboards, grabbing a couple bowls for Dani and Santana, "San, could you remind me to pick up some books on foreign dances? I need to brush up on my skills for tomorrows class." She explained.

"Yeah, yeah.." Santana studies Rachel as she moves. She wanted to just ask, but decides it's better if Dani doesn't hear and get worried or something, so she gets up and walks over Rachel, "Why are you eating only a salad?" She asks, not too loudly.

_'Shit..'_ Rachel softly chuckled, "Because I need to lose a little bit of weight." She walked to the fridge, pulling out the bag of salad, "I'm getting too heavy and I want to shave off any excess weight that I don't need.."

Dani heard Rachel's words, she looked at Rachel's body very cl_osely, 'Rachel, the hell you talking about? You're fine.. I think it may be a bit to weird to be checking out someone I refer to my friends as mom..'_ She thought to herself as she looked around the two women.

Santana grabs Rachel's hand, "No more salads; starting tomorrow, you're eating real food. I know what it's like to exercise every day and not eat well, so you need to watch yourself." She whispers in Rachel's ear. Only when she's done, Santana smells Rachel's sweet perfume, so she push away from her and goes back to her chair.

Rachel looked down, reluctant to give into Santana's demands, _'Tomorrow.. We will see..'_ She continued to make her salad, once she finished, she went to work on making Dani and Santana's bowls. "So Dani, you never brought up how your day went, did you have a good day at school?"

Dani bit her lower lip, "I had a decent day; I made two friends, so I think so far it's going great." Her enthusiasm was not shy to show. "I am, slowly, feeling like a normal teenager, and it's pretty awesome." She happily announced.

Santana's grins brightly and mouths to Rachel, _'You did this.'_ Then she nudges Dani with her fist, being careful she won't push her off, "It's great to hear, kid!"

Rachel handed Santana and Dani their bowls, "Well that's great sweetie, I think this calls for something.. Tell you what, this weekend I will call up Auntie Porcelain, and see if he'll let us borrow his blender, then we make smoothies." She suggested and instantly loathed herself after saying that.

Dani liked the idea but remembered something, "Oh, uhm.. I may have plans, see Marley and Elliot are rehearsing their lines for the schools Oz play, and I told them I'd be there to critique them." She pushed some hair over her shoulder, "But I think that's early afternoon stuff, so we could still have the smoothies."

"Look at you, rejecting us for your friends!" Santana gives Dani a quick, tight, hug, "They grow so fast!" She laughs and starts eating, "But you still need to hang out with your old folks." Santana says with her mouth half full.

"Well how about me and Santana go? I used to work on Oz back in high school, plus it would be a good bonding experience." Rachel took a bite of her salad

"We'll only embarrass her, she would want to be with her friends and what do you expect us to do there?" Santana comments, "And, please, don't get angry or something, I'm really asking." Too many girls in one place, Santana doesn't know when one of them will get upset at her.

"Hey, it was just an idea. It would get us out of the house, and you wouldn't feel left out." Rachel joked as she continued at her salad.

Dani waved her hand, "Santana has a point, I don't even know why I was wanted there for the most part.. I just know they want me there." She explained before taking another bite of her pasta. "Mm.." She savored the meal more than she did the conversation.

"You live with us, hence you're cool." Santana simply states. The Latina took a few bites, when an idea comes to her, "And I think we're going to be busy, anyway." She smirks at Rachel and turns to Dani, "Just tell us when are you leaving and coming back." Her smirk turns into a soft smile.

Dani nodded, keeping her eyes on Santana for a few seconds longer than she expected._'Santana.. I think we need a talk..'_ She thinks to herself biting her lip.

Rachel shrugged and continued to eat her salad, _'I am loving the idea of Dani having her friends, it's endearing.'_

* * *

Dani slowly crawled off the couch, having the blanket over her body like an over-sized cape, she walked down the hall, to Santana's door. She quietly gulped, then knocked on the door, "S-Santana?"

Santana is in her bed, just scrolling through Twitter, when she hears Dani voice from the other side of her door, "Come in, D"

Dani opens the door, walks in, then closes the door, "Can we talk? I need advice on something sorta.. Kinda important." She muttered nervously as she held her blanket a bit tighter.

"I swear, you can't get any cuter! Come in here, I need a cuddle anyway." Santana pats the empty space beside her and puts her phone near her bed.

Dani set her blanket on the edge of the bed then crawled on, closing any space between the two. Dani rested her head on Santana's shoulder and bit down on her lip. "I think I may like someone.. A lot.. Even though I just met them today." She confessed.

This is the moment, the crucial moment in Santana's relationship with Dani and she's not about to ruin it or hurt Dani in any way. Santana is nervous; she did want Dani to come to her too, but she was unsure if she can do this. Taking a deep breath, Santana starts to play with Dani's hair, "Hey, those feelings are nice," She's being careful with picking her words, "It doesn't matter if you met them today or known them for a while, the heart wants what it wants."

"She sounds pretty, kid." Santana keeps the smile, "It's great that you have someone you can feels those feelings for. Because you only met today, I say, try to get close to her, get to know her." She's cupping Dani's face, "It's possible you'd get hurt," The last thing she wants is for the girl to get her heart broken, "But it doesn't mean you shouldn't try and it can turn to be great." Santana bites her lip, this is not going to be easy for her, "I had a great love in high school. We broke up, but the years we've spent together were amazing." She's choking back some tears, "Don't rush it; let it bloom on its own with a gentle push from your side."

Dani felt bad almost instantly after hearing Santana explain her story, she raised up a tiny bit to give Santana a gentle peck on the lips. "Don't give up Santana, I am sure you will find someone to love you.. More than life itself, even." She pressed her forehead against Santana's as she smiled.

"Thank you, D. You're honestly the best kid ever." She squeezes her arms around Dani, "If you want, you can ask her to sleep over. The couch in the living room opens or you could have my room.. Scratch that," Santana smirks, "You sleep in Rachel's and she'd stay here. Just have a fun night."

"Really? Why does she get to cuddle with you? Rachel can have her, I like sleeping in your bed too much." She started to pout for a few seconds. _'I should explain why though..'_ Dani smirked slightly, "Reason being is I am a boob kind of girl, and you're comfortable as f-.. Hell." She corrected herself but couldn't help but laugh.

"Girl, it's the second time in this talk, we're practically your parents!" Santana gives Dani a small shove, "And you're too young to be into boobs! Her not being able to get you pregnant doesn't mean you're allowed to do as you want. You can kiss her, but that's it." Santana looks at Dani as seriously as she can, "And I'd go to work that night, give your mom her space. Besides, I won't hear the end of it if I'd kick her in my sleep and she'd get bruised." She rolls her eyes and tries to get Dani closer to her body.

Dani wrapped her arms around Santana's waist, gently nuzzling into the Latina. "I know, but I am comfortable, and you love me so I get to get away with this, for the most part." She giggled softly. "Hey Santana, if I got comfortable with calling you two my parents.. What would I call you?'

Santana's heart skips a beat to Dani's words and she kiss the girl's head. Dani thinks of them as her parents and Santana doesn't want to run, she's addicted to the teen. Santana bites her lip, feeling nervous and excited at the same time, "In Spanish, mamá is mom, if you want to. But I don't mind, whatever good for you is good for me."

"Mamá.. I like that.." Dani pulled her blanket up, covering both her and Santana, "Thank you for letting me sleep in here, it helps keep my bad dreams away." She confessed as she slowly closed her eyes.

"Always, love." Santana reach and turn off the lamp next to her bed, "Good night, sweety."

"Good night.. Mamá.." Dani spoke as she fell to sleep.

* * *

**'till next time.**

***Edit:** for the guest who wrote the review about the d\s relationship: if you don't like it, you don't have to read it. There are plenty of other Pezberry stories. We have an idea and it's going great! I have no problem with constructive criticism, but this isn't the case. So please, don't bother with those.

_On a different note,_ a huge thank you to everyone who read and enjoy this story :D


	6. Chapter 6

**Written with Nephewsnixx.**

* * *

Rachel is sitting at the bar, nervous as all hell for what she's going to get herself into. Part of her wanted to leave right then and there, but she told Santana that she could do it, and the last thing Rachel wanted was for Santana to have bragging rights over her.

Santana hands Rachel a shot, "It always helps me, drink up." She, still, can't believe this is happening; Rachel is going to have her first session at her club. Surprised or not, Santana is here to make sure Rachel is well taking care of and that everything will go smoothly. "You still want it, right?"

Rachel looks at Santana with all the confidence in her body, grabbed the shot, then gulped it down, slamming the shot glass down on the table. "Yup." She nodded, "I want it so bad, I may crave more than one serving." Rachel gave Santana a smirk. "I just wish I had worn my contacts."

_'Fuck..'_ Santana drinks her shot and turn around on her stool, looking around the club she knows too well. "Be careful what you wish for." Her head turns to Rachel, "I'm serious." Santana does a once-over over Rachel's body, "You look fine," She says and turns away from her friend, "Not that you're going stay clothed for much longer." Santana's eyes spotted Ashley exits her room.

"No problem." the brunette laughed, placing her hands on her hips, all heroic and such. Rachel looked at her appearance; making sure she looked good, Santana's input helped a lot, but she wanted to make sure for herself. "D-Do I really look good Santana?" She asked.

Santana struggles not to scan Rachel's body again, "Yeah, you're beautiful." She's focused on Ashley's steps, "Just remember, do as you told and use the safe word if you need."

_'Beautiful..'_ Rachel blushed quite a bit; with each second it seemed like a shot to Rachel's self esteem, she needed to relax somehow, and she wasn't sure if Ashley would be the one to make Rachel feel at home.

Ashley reaches the two friends; keeping a stern face and not even glancing at Rachel. She bobbed her head at Rachel, "Is that who you told me about, Ms Lopez?"

Santana stiffens, "That's her." She doesn't know why her stomach hurts so badly right now, "She gets the best treatment. Unfortunately, the best is me, but you're the next best, so you'll do." She smirks at her friend.

Ashley raises her eyebrow, "Watch your tone or else she won't be the only one getting whipped." She finally looks at Rachel, "Are you ready, honey?" Her eyes scans Rachel's body and bite her lips.

Rachel pushes her index fingers together, "Y-Yeah.." She nods, getting off the stool and walks towards the other woman. The brunette's eyes were slightly worried as she looked back at Santana, "S-See you later?" She asked while slightly frowning.

"Yeah. Have fun." She needs Rachel to go before she'd pull her back on the chair next to her. She was always protective over the ones she cares about, but this is taking it too far. Rachel will be fine and she, herself, going to drink some more and play on her phone until she comes back.

Rachel was already feeling miserable the second they started to leave the bar, _'I don't feel good..'_ She held her stomach, breathing softly. "I am so nervous.." she confessed.

Ashley let Rachel enter and close the door behind them. Fresh meat always excites her, but this girl is Santana's best friend and she made a promise to the Latina. "On your knees, no eye contact. We're going to start with the rules before anything happens."

_'This is going easy?'_ Rachel thought as she sat down on her knees, looking at the floor nervously; she wanted to say something but she didn't want to disappoint this woman.

_'How did Santana not ravish her, I have no idea..'_ Ashley circles Rachel twice and sits on the edge of the bed. "First, you only speak when given permission. Second, you only allowed to call me Ms Adams, Mistress or Ma'am. Understood?"

"Y-Yes, Ms. Adams.." She gulped a bit, not adverting her eyes away from the floor. _'Oh man.. I want to go home now..'_ Rachel took a couple breaths, gently pushing her thumbs together.

_'Something isn't right, the vibe in here isn't what it supposes to be.'_ Ashley looks at Rachel, but it's unclear, "Come here, on your knees." She points at a spot next to her on the floor.

Rachel got on the bed, sitting on her knees and kept her eyes towards the floor. _'Relax Rachel..'_ She sighed softly.

"I meant, you sit on the floor," Ashley turns to Rachel, her eyes a little darker than before, "But I'll let it slide, only because we're still going through the rules." She grabs Rachel's hair and pull it backwards, not with too much force, "Tell me, Rachel, do you really want to be here?" Ashley gets closer to Rachel's face, "You want to give yourself to me?" She whispers in her ear and looks closely at her face.

Rachel yelped a bit, "Y-Yes.." She lied, but she just wanted the other woman to let go of her hair. Rachel kept a sad look on her face as she felt worse about herself, one of her hands went to her stomach, _'Ow..'_

Ashley pulls harder, "You know better than lying to me, right? I'm going to punish you, even though we only started." Her hand tugging on the woman's shirt, "I'm going to turn you over and punish you." She makes Rachel look at her, "Now let's try it one more time, do you want to be here?"

Rachel yelped once more, "No! I.." Few tears went down her cheeks, "I need to do this.." She regretted saying this, but she wanted to show she could handle being this way.

Ashley immediately let go of Rachel's hair. She broke her character and smiles an apologizing smile, "I'm sorry for hurting you, Rachel. Some people like to defy orders and play like that." She wipes the tears of the woman's face and massage her head, "Are you ok?"

"No, I am not okay, I don't know what the fuck I was trying to get myself into." Rachel took her glasses off to quickly rub her eyes with her sleeve. "I only wanted to get into this to show.. To make a point to someone, that I was willing to go through the pain, but I can barely stand getting my hair yanked without coming out like a damned lawn sprinkler." She covered part of her face, feeling disgusted by herself. "More importantly, I have not had any kind of sex, in nearly 7 years.. And if I had gone through it with you.. You would have been my second time."

Ashley sighs and gets up, bringing Rachel a glass of water. "First of all, you don't need to do things like that only to prove something, no matter who that person is." She cleans Rachel's glasses and give them back to her, "From what I've heard about you, you're a bright young woman who has a strong personality. Don't give yourself away just because." Ashley really feels bad for the woman sitting before her and she wants to help, "Now let's talk about Santana.."

"What about Santana?" Rachel asked before shifting her body to where she's leaning against the bed rest, she looked off to the side and was hoping she didn't have to talk about Santana. "What can I possibly say about her that you don't know..?"

"Nothing, but that's not what we're going to talk about." Ashley sits straight in front of Rachel, "Whatever we talk about in this room, won't get out, that I can promise." She let it sink for a second before continuing, "Obviously you were talking about her. Want to elaborate?" She smiles kindly.

"I told Santana I wanted to do this, that I was willing to be a pet.. She said I couldn't handle it, I told her she's wrong, and because I am stubborn and wouldn't ease up, she brought me here." Rachel explained to Ashley, she had her hands rest on her stomach, "I feel sick for some reason too, the second I moved away from Santana.. Never mind."

Ashley nods and smile, "Let me tell you about the conversation I had with Santana; she practically pulled me out of a session to tell me she needs me. She told me you're interested in trying this out and she can't trust anyone with you but me, but I saw the pain in her eyes." Ashley watches Rachel's reaction to her little story, "A pet needs to have the right owner and you found yours and you're already claimed, even if it's not official."

Rachel softly chuckled, "My.. This kid that's staying with Santana and I.. She also mentioned that Santana and I should be together, but I don't even know if it'd work out.. She loves control, and as much as I am willing to give her control, I really don't know how often I would want the thing you two do." She bit her lip nervously. "Also.. Santana is pretty much flawless.. I can't even look at myself in the mirror without wanting to cut my stomach open.." Rachel explained as she rubbed her stomach, "I've been starving myself like crazy, just so I can have a body like Santana's.. Perfect abs.. Barely any fat.. But I am not built like her, as much as I want to."

"Honey, listen to me, starving won't solve anything, you'd always feel fat and on top of it, you'll get angry, tired, lifeless.. It's not my place to lecture you, but just think 'bout it." The Rachel Berry who sits in front of her is even greater than Santana described, Ashley thinks. "And yes, Santana loves control, she likes it rough, but that's sex. Making love is different. I'm not saying she won't need it, but she can be tender and loving as well. And I know for sure that she would never force you to do anything you don't want. Am I right?"

Rachel looked up for a few seconds. "Well, there was this one time that she got _all_ fucked up and begged me to treat her to ice cream.. Drunk Santana loves her ice cream, and at 4 in the morning, you'd get a bigger headache than a brain freeze if you don't act quick with her." She laughed a bit. "But I see your point, but at the same time.." She looked away for a few seconds. "I don't know, I mean we have a kid living with us, someone that considers us as her parents.. Or that I would like to consider us parents.. But we care for this kid.. Have you seen her?" Rachel reached into her pocket, pulled out her phone and opened a picture of Dani and Santana, "Look."

She takes a long look, "She's beautiful, Rachel, and Santana looks really happy." Finally says to Rachel, "But that proves my point; she might want a little fun in the bedroom sometimes, but she has much more to offer." Ashley bites her lip, not sure if she should tell Rachel or not, but decides it's for the best, "I won't tell you how much she helps some of the girls here, but she told me about that woman who tried to hit on your kid. She was fuming, I was sure she'd kill her if she'd ever see her. Long story short, that woman is not allowed to work or get in any club in NYC. That's your girl."

"I heard, and that's good, Santana is vicious, but I am pretty mean myself." Rachel raised a brow towards Ashley, "I don't look it, but I would have given that Sandra person an earful, she'd wish she was in hell after I was through." She softly chuckled. "Ow.. It hurts to laugh suddenly." Rachel held her stomach some more.

"Did you eat anything today?" Ashley asks in a firm tone.

Rachel shook her head, "No, that's because when I took a shower this morning, the figure in the mirror looked like it was 400 pounds.. Then it mocked me." She felt stupid for explaining it, but it was the best way she could possibly word it.

"I'm going to throw some things that might hurt you, but you need to get out of it somehow." Ashley states, but doesn't wait for Rachel to say something, "You'd die. Not today, not next month, but not too far in the future. And you'll leave a young girl who sees you, at least, as a grown up she can trust, you'll leave a woman who likes you very much, friends and family that loves you and needs you. Now, I said I won't intervene, but I won't let you die wither. I have my way, but I'd know if you'd lose weight and will tell Santana and you know she won't have it." Ashley gives her the most serious face she can measure to let Rachel know she is not playing games.

"It's not that easy Ashley." Rachel slowly got off the bed, keeping hold of her stomach, "How would you feel, if when you looked in the mirror, instead of seeing you as how you actually look like.. You saw a freak, an obese, disgusting person right before your very eyes?" She slowly paced around the room, she had a hand on the wall to keep her self balanced, "On top of that, you have a kid who sees you as their world, and another woman who wants you to be happy, then having a class to rely on you to teach them be better than you at your profession." Rachel gagged a bit then covered her mouth, "I-I got so much pressure, and it's not easy for me to handle it.. And what's worse is I feel alone in this world." she expressed before falling to her knees. "It hurts to move.."

"Ok, that's it!" Ashley says and jumped from the bed. She runs outside to find Santana sitting where they left her, "Lopez! You need to come with me!" She grabs Santana's arm and pulls her with her.

"What the fuck, Ash?! Did something happen to Rachel?!"

"Get in there!"

"Rach?" Santana enters the room, her hand covering her eyes, but she's peaking through it, "Rachel! What happened?! Did she hurt you?!"

Rachel shook her head, "No.. Well, yeah.. But no, that's not why I am on the floor, holding my stomach and feeling like I am gonna pass out.." Rachel crawled to the bed as she started to feel dizzy. "I.. I need food.. Can someone get me pasta or something? I could care less if it had meat or not, I just.. Get me food now please." She leaned against the bed, taking soft breaths.

"Ash, get her something to eat. Now!" Santana yells, then cupped Rachel's face, "Hey, you'd be alright in just a minute. Hold me, I'll help you get on the bed."

Rachel nodded slowly, she wrapped one arm around Santana then moved her other arm on the bed to lift herself up. "S-Santana, everything hurts, and I don't know why either, like I am in physical pain.. But like, my heart, it hurts the most."

Santana doesn't think and places her hand on Rachel's chest, "Jesus!" She grabs Rachel hand and puts it on her own, "Focus on getting your heart to beat like mine." Her thumb brushes Rachel's uncontrollably.

The brunette smiled a bit at the closeness they were having, "It's not that kind of hurt Santana.. I mean, I am just.. I feel broke.." Rachel looked to the side, then shook her head slowly. "I just.. It's.. You.." She looked up at the Latina.

"Me?!" Santana let go if Rachel's hand, she feels like she got punched in the face, "Whatever!" She takes a few steps to get the glass of water to Rachel, trying not to smash it in her hand, "Drink." She pushes the glass in front of Rachel.

_'No.. No, that's not what you're supposed to do!'_ She sniffled once as she weakly took the glass, taking a sip of it. "I.. I can't explain it to you.. I am too stubborn to even try." Rachel spoke softly.

"You shouldn't speak, save your energy." Santana really don't want to talk to Rachel. She's worried sick for her, but what she said still stings. Like her prayers were answered, Ashley comes in with a big sandwich with omelet inside and tomatoes.

"Here, Rachel, eat it all." Ashley hands her the sandwich, "You have a chocolate bar here, as well and a battle of water."

Santana can't help the pull she feels in her stomach seeing the interaction between the two. It doesn't look like they had sex, but something did happen there. She takes a few steps back from them and folds her arms.

Rachel struggled to lean forward, but was able to do so, she picked up the sandwich and began taking bites from it _'If there is meat in here.. Sorry baby animals..'_ She thought as she gulped down the first bite, now feeling a tad more energized. "Okay.. I feel a bit better now.." She spoke out.

"Eat the fucking sandwich, Berry." Santana rolls her eyes, "When you finish, we have a cab outside that will take us home."

Ashley hears Santana tone and tear her worried eyes from Rachel. She glares at her friend, but Santana only shrugs. She goes over to her, "Drop the ice queen attitude, she needs you."

Now it's Santana who glares, "Shut up."

Ashley clenches her jaw; she doesn't want to snap at Santana. "Green doesn't look good on you. I didn't touch her, so drop it." She whispers in her friend's ear, "Take care of her."

Rachel sighed to herself, she moved the tray aside, got off the bed. "You know, I kinda want to be alone now." She announced as she started to make her way towards the outside of the room.

Santana huffs angrily and tell Ashley she'd talk to her later. She walks fast and catch up to Rachel, "I don't care what you want." She stands before her, "We don't need to talk, but I'm taking you home right now."

Rachel laughed to herself for a few seconds, "You're hilarious. It's easy for you to act this way, because it's easier to do that. I know, I have lived with heartbreak for a long ass time myself." She crossed her arms and keeping a fake smile. "But let me ask you this; throughout our entire high school years, you've told me I should start taking my head out of my ass.. Why is it okay for you to not do that?" she asked in a shaky tone of voice. "Brittany is old news Santana, but me.. I've been there for you, just like you've been there for me.." she started to walk away from Santana, but stopped, turned around, and looked at Santana once more. "You know.. I never stopped thinking about the kiss.."

Tears were threatening to slip from Santana's eyes and her breathing becomes quicker. Her head hurt from all the thoughts and she can barely hang on to the control she had left. Her soul is craving for what Rachel has to offer, but she has clear rules that she's not going to break. But Rachel's words hurt her deep inside; where she keeps the thoughts of Brittany and.. The memory of that kiss they shared. Yes, it's easier to push everything away and pretend, especially when you know how hurt you can be and who you can lose. Santana doesn't bother to wipe her tears away, she walks and grabs Rachel's arm, "I can't.." she whispers, looking in Rachel's eyes. Touching Rachel might not be a good idea at the moment, but she needs to get her to the cab, "Think what you want of me, hate me, but I am taking you home."

Rachel gently pulled her arm away, she was wanting to scream right then and there. Her hands were shaky as she cupped Santana's face, tilts her head and fully kisses Santana; similar to how they kissed nearly a week prior. This time, Rachel wasn't going to let herself move away.

Santana's mind screaming for her to break the kiss and get away, but the feeling of Rachel's lips on her own makes her deaf even to her own brain. Santana pushes Rachel against the nearest wall and push herself against the woman's body. She takes Rachel's lower lips between hers, sucking it for a second and bite it slightly, before letting go of her lips.

Rachel lowered her hand towards the hemline of Santana's shirt, lifting up a part of it to feel her bare waist with the palm, she then pushed her tongue in Santana's mouth, allowing their tongues to brush against each other.

Santana's body vibrates when Rachel's hand touches her and their tongues meet. She parts Rachel's legs and tries to get closer. Santana's hands find their way under Rachel's shirt and she caressed the soft skin of her back, feeling it warm against her touch. She sucks Rachel's tongue and bite her lips, savoring the taste and enjoying how amazing they are.

A soft moan is heard from Rachel the second Santana's hands touch her bare skin; this was something Rachel had wanted, and she could live on just this for the rest of her life if given the choice. But the back of her head was telling her to stop, and she regretfully stopped the kiss, keeping her lips close to Santana. "S-San.. I'm not drunk.. Yet I willingly kissed you.. What does that tell you?" She softly asked, gently pressing her head against the Latina's.

First the moan and now her breath on her face, Santana's mind is clouded with desire. She pecks Rachel's lips one last time and move away. "I can't, Rachel, I just can't." And just like that she burst their happy bubble, "It's not a good idea."

Like an arrow hitting a bulls-eye, Santana's words struck Rachel at her core. She sighed, then walked from the wall, "You can't deny your true feelings, anymore than I can.. When you figure it out.. I will be down the hall.." She frowned as she walked to the sidewalk, trying to signal a cab to pick the two up. _'Her hands.. I mean, _my God,_I wish they were on me a bit longer.'_ A blush was seen on the diva's face.

Santana bites her lip to the point, she thinks, she drew blood; that kiss blew her mind and if Rachel hadn't stopped them, maybe she would not have stopped them herself. Now she looks at Rachel back with lust and something much deeper. But that's what happens when she loses her control, when she gives in to her desires; everything gets ruined and, in her mind, that's what happened. Taking friendship to the next level always ends up badly and she has too much to lose. With the thought that she needs to work on her self control, Santana gets in the cab and sits as far as she can from Rachel.

Rachel looked out the window, seeing the lights of New York as the cab drives. The last time she even had a kiss remotely similar to that was.. Never, that kiss blew Rachel away, Santana blew Rachel away, so many conflicting emotions were swarming her head, and she was confused as all hell. Maybe that was for the best, God only knows how far Rachel would have allowed that to go if she didn't stop. Now she needed to just open up about this.. Whatever it was that she had with Santana now, she knew what the Latina wanted, mostly because she wanted the same.

* * *

It's a beautiful Saturday morning; perfect for sleeping late and being lazy, but Dani is already up and dressed on on her way to meet Elliot and Marley in the park for their rehearsal. She spent the night before at Kurt's, playing board games, talking and baking cookies and making pudding. Her and Blaine had a food fight; it was hilarious, until Kurt ordered them to clean everything up. Dani really likes spending time with the couple and she was glad that Rachel and Santana was going out together once again. She hoped it was another step towards them being a real family. She wanted to go and say good morning to them, but Kurt told her they must still be sleeping. Dani nodded and went out. Now, she just arrived in the park and can see Marley and Elliot already sitting beneath a tree.

"Good morning, guys." She smiles at them.

Marley eyes shot up towards Dani's direction, "Hey, come sit." She patted the spot right next to her, keeping a smile on her face.

Elliot gave Dani a nod, "What's up, kid?" He asked then went back to reading the script he was given, "I still can't believe I have to play as the cowardly lion.. Me, the guy who willingly wore high heels to homecoming last year." He let out feeling a bit annoyed.

Dani takes a seat beside Marley and rest her back against the tree. In the past week she spent a lot of time around the other two and she feels connected to them already; they can get a little weird some time, but they're nice, funny and seems to care about her. Like two other people she knows.

"But that's the point of acting, Right? You get to act characters that are different from you, that way it's more challenging."

"Maybe so, but it sucks." Elliot said as he laid down, resting his head on his arms. "So Dani, how was your weekend so far? Also did you by any chance get Language Arts homework? Because I know someone who could help you out if you need it." He asked.

"I stayed at my auntie's last night because my moms went out and we had fun." She answers, playing with the grass around her, "I have some, but I keep postponing it cause it's kinda hard.." She blushes a little due to the admission.

"Marley, you can help her, right?" Elliot speaks out, sending a smirk towards the brunette.

Marley glared at Elliot for a few seconds, "Y-Yeah, I can actually. Also, Elliot, we need to rehearse our audition, remember?" She pointed out as she grabbed Elliot's hat and puts it on, "You can have your hat back when we finish." Marley playfully stuck her tongue out.

Dani has mixed feelings about spending more alone time with Marley; she's excited, but nervous at the same time. She remembers what Santana told her, but it's hard to stay cool when she can't stop blushing when she's around Marley. "Hm, Thank, Marley." Dani mumbles, "And yeah, do your lines. I didn't wake up early for nothing, I wanna hear it." Dani grins at Elliot.

Elliot sat up and scanned the lines that he needed to say, once he did that he looked over to Marley, "You have the first line, so, shoot." He scooted besides the girls, leaning against the tree with them.

Marley looked at her script, gulped nervously, then glimpsed at Dani for a few moments, then looked at Elliot. "My goodness, what a fuss you're making! Well naturally, when you go around picking on things weaker than you are. Why, you're nothing but a great big coward!" She spoke with a not so thick southern drawl.

Elliot started to fake cry as it said to do so in the script. "You're right, I am a coward! I haven't any courage at all. I even scare myself."He continued to fake sob. "Look at the circles under my eyes. I haven't slept in weeks!"

"Why don't you try counting sheep?" Marley retorted, changing her accent a slight amount and making her voice a tiny bit deeper.

Elliot shook his head, "That doesn't do any good, I'm afraid of 'em." He fake sobbed again.

"Aw, that's too bad." Marley pursed her lips and patted Elliot's shoulder.

"God, I think I gave myself some disease from being that obnoxious." Elliot started to chuckle, "This worked in the 1930's, but that was nearly 90 years ago." He pointed out.

Dani giggled at Elliot comment. She watched them read some lines and smile widely. She was always into art; mostly music, but she the though of acting excites her as well. She never got the chance to do much about it; she's really shy and her parents thought it was a waste of time. But seeing Marley and Elliot, just running a few lines, makes her want it. Dani isn't sure if she can ever perform in front of people, though.

Elliot reached over to his guitar case, opened it and pulled out an Electric/Acoustic guitar, he then grabbed his phone and turned on an app that amplifies the guitar sound. "Okay Marley, ready to test those pipes?" He asked as he connected the cord from his guitar, to his phone.

Marley gulped a bit, "N-Not really, but I believe I can try." She looked at Dani nervously, gently grabbing the pink haired girl's hand, "Hope you don't mind this, the contact helps keep me at ease when nervous." The brunette explained.

Dani slightly bite her lips, "Not at all." As much as it stresses her to hold the girl's hand, it makes her feel good just as much. Dani watches her friends, can't wait to hear them sing.

Marley closes her eyes, and waits for Elliot to start strumming his guitar. Once he does, she waits a little bit to get into the grove of the melody. "Some.. Where.. Over the rainbow.." She gulps a bit, her grip on Dani's hand tightens; not enough to hurt the other girl, but enough to know Dani was there, "Way up high." Marley continued. Throughout the song she held notes when needed, and was matching the tempo of the song.

"Wow.." Dani exhales when Marley finished the song. If she thought she had a huge crush on her friend, now it's worse; Marley's voice is so beautiful, Dani can swear she can go through life only hearing her sing. And hold her hand. She clears her throat, "That was great, Marley." She quickly turns to Elliot, "You play very nicely." Dani says and smile.

"I thought I was kick ass, but.." Elliot rolled his eyes then smiled over at Dani, "Thanks kiddo." He nodded once.

"Y-You really think that was great, Dani?" Marley looked over at her friend. The thing about Marley, is that she gets nervous easily. It wasn't her fault for the most part, just how she was raised, "Thank you.." She grazed her thumb against the back of Dani's hand.

Dani glared at Elliot, but then averts her eyes to look deeply in Marley's, "Yeah, you have an amazing voice." She admits, her voice slightly shake. She jumps when she feels a vibration in her pocket; Rachel gave her her old cell phone and doesn't allow her to go anywhere without it. She apologizes quickly and answer the call.  
"H-Hello?"

_"Hey, D. What's up kid?"_

"Fine, I'm with Marley and Elliot at the park." Dani answer Santana, "How are you and Rachel?" She hopes to hear good news.

After a short silence, Dani hears Santana's voice again, _"We're alright. Listen, Rachel wants us to go play some pool around four thirty. So be here and you can ask Marley if she wants to come and maybe even sleep over."_

"I-I.." Dani gulps.

_"Don't be scared, D. We're going to have fun without any pressure, then you can watch a movie when we'll get home."_ Santana calms her down.

Dani nods, but remember Santana can't see her and almost slap herself, "Thanks, Santana. I'll ask."

_"Cool. See you later, sweetie."_

Dani hangs up the phone and slowly turns to her friends. She knows it's just a fun night and a good chance to get closer to Marley, but Dani is still scared; scared that Marley would say no and from what can happen if she'd agree. "T-That was my mom.. We're going out to play pool later and.. And she told me you can come if you'd like." She looks at both of her friends; she can't invite Marley without inviting Elliot, they're all friends, "And," She looks at the girl next to her, "You can sleep over after, if you want."

Elliot raised both his eyebrows, then he bit his lip as he got up, grabbing his guitar case. "Yes, she can go with you Dani." He winked. "Also, keep the hat. I got tons more at home." Elliot gave a nod as he started to walk away.

Marley's face lit up a bit more at the thought of being around Dani in her own home, she looked at the pink haired female before her. "Y.. Yeah!" She gave Dani a smile, "I would love to play pool with you, and stay over.. It'd be fun."

"Really?" Dani beams at Marley, she's so happy to hear she'd come that she forgets the world around her, "We're going at four thirty. You can come to mine, to put your things there for later and we can go together." Dani suggests and gets up.

Marley got up with Dani, pulling up her bag. "Just so you know, I can play pool like a machine." She winked at Dani in a playful manner. "Have you played before?"

Dani feels embarrassed and plays with the hem of her shirt, "Acutally, it's going to be my first time playing." She confesses.

Marley placed her hand on Dani's shoulder "Good thing you have me, I know all the tricks." she winked with confidence. "I will teach you, and maybe you'll be as good as me when I am done." Marley softly chuckled at her comment, "But in all seriousness, I'll teach you to play."

Dani vies Marley a big smile, "Thanks!" It's time for them to go separate ways, "So.. I'll see you later, right?" She just needs a final confirmation.

"You bet." Marley nods, then starts walking the opposite way._'God.. Okay Marley calm down.. Just a friend..'_ She gulped a bit and continued walking.

* * *

Rachel was walking with Dani, Santana, and Marley, looking at all of the pool tables that were there. "Hey Dani, I am sorry we couldn't go to that fun center, it was too far of a walk for anyone to go to, plus the food there isn't that great." She explained she sat at one of the dinner tables that was in the pool hall.

"It's fine, we can have fun here." Dani says, "So.. What are we going to do?"

Rachel reached into her purse, pulling out $5 in quarters, "I think it's a dollar per game of pool, so how about you and Marley go play some pool." She suggested as she handed Dani the quarters. For the most part Rachel kept that kiss from the night before away from her thoughts, at least until her eyes traveled towards Santana's body._'Oh man..'_ She shook her head, then focused on Dani. "Have fun, girls."

Marley noticed Rachel's gaze towards Santana, she wanted to question it, but it wasn't her place to do so, nor was it the time. The brunette got up and walked to the table closest by. "Come on Dani, let the _master_ teach you how to play."

When Dani came home at noon, she knew something was up with Santana and Rachel. Both women acted strange and the air in the house was tensed. Dani figured she'd have to suffer through this awkwardness until she'd get them together, so she let them be and smirked; her plan is going to work perfectly. And of course, Dani didn't miss how the two keep stealing glances at each other, but it'd have to wait a little while because, now, she's going to play with Marley and it's stressful enough. So Dani takes the money from Rachel, thanks her and go after Marley, "Ok, how do we start?"

"Okay, so you just got to place 4 quarters in this tray thing, push on the metal handle which will send the quarters in, then the pool balls will appear on the other end of this." Marley explained as she picked up a black hollowed out triangle, "This thing is called a pool rack, we set all the balls in here, in the correct order, then we move the rack away. That's where the term Rack em' Up comes from." She continued.

Dani look at Marley, fascinated by everything the girl does; how she explain to her, how she talks, walks.. "S-Sounds simple enough." She says and does what Marley just told her. "I guess now comes to hard part?" Dani chuckles softly.

Marley placed the pool balls in the rack, making sure the 1 was at the top and the 8 ball was in the middle. "Okay, so after you got these packed, just move the rack to where the 1-ball covers that black circle on the table, once you do that.." She moved the rack, placed it back on the hook, "Now the white ball, that's the cue ball, that needs to hit all the other balls into the pockets. It has to be about 3 to 5 white dots away from the others, depending on how far you can reach." She placed the cue ball a bit of ways away from the colored and stripe set, "Then we can get to playing." She said as she grabbed a pool stick, then grabbed some blue chalk to graze the tip of the stick, "Now this is optional, but there is a white mound of chalk by each of the racks that holds the pool sticks, they help this slide between your fingers easier. I rarely use that stuff, but you can if you really want to."

Dani shrugs; if Marley doesn't do it, she won't either._'It doesn't look that complicated, I think..'_ She thinks to herself, looking at the table and back to Marley,_'If I could focus on playing and not starting.'_ She scowls herself. "Which balls I need to hit?" Dani puts her hands on the table and lean on it.

"Well first of all you aren't even positioned right, here watch me." Marley rested one hand on the green felt of the table her index finger hooking the thin part of the pool stick, her feet planted on the floor. "You gotta make your body firm, and have a good grip.." She softly speaks as her other hand grips the thicker end of the pool stick. "Pull back.." She pulls a bit, "Then push.." she thrusts, and the pool balls scatter, a few solid color balls went to the pockets. "Now you try, normally if we were facing each other, you'd be taking the stripes, but I will let you take solids as well since it's a practice game."

The pink haired girl's face is flushed; her eyes traveled along Marley's body and watch her move to hit the ball and now her cheeks are on fire. She's not sure she can do this anymore, but she can't bail now. So Dani tries to position herself like Marley did before, but only feels awkward.

Marley can't help but adore her friends attempt, so much so that she softly giggles at the sight, "Here.." Marley said as she moved close to Dani, resting one hand on the wrist with the thin end of the pool stick, "Don't grip this end as much." She said as her other hand helps Dani's hand grip the thick side of the stick. "Remember, you sorta need to shift your momentum to the hand that's holding the base." She explained then checked to make sure Dani's arm was positioned right, but in doing so she blushed,_'Her arms.. They're like, perfect..'_ She gulped, then quickly stepped back, "N-Now try."

Dani worried Marley would feel her skin burning up, but it looks like she didn't. She tires to same at the same position Marley showed her and hit the ball. She straightens up and watch it hit a ball just a few centimeters away from the pocket. First she frowns, then pout and moves to the side of the table.

Marley applauded the pink haired girl, "Good job, Dani!" She ran to her friend, giving her a quick hug. "Just keep doing what you're doing, and be sure to not get the white ball in any of the pockets, otherwise that's a penalty."

"They're just too adorable for their own good." Santana comments, looking at the young girls play. Santana in not sure how to act around Rachel; they haven't talked that much since last night and when they did, it was about Dani or the apartment. She has no idea what to do in cases like this, and to make it worse, Santana can't go through five minutes without thinking about Rachel or part of her body. But now they have a buffer, maybe it won't be that bad.

"Yeah.. You know they have been checking each other out the entire walk here?" Rachel leans towards Santana to make sure that Dani or Marley didn't hear her. "I swear, teenagers can't hide their looks.. It's crazy how we were like that as kids." she continued as she moved a little closer, not close enough to look like she's trying to come on to Santana, but enough to where she could rest her head on the Latina's shoulder comfortably.

This simple act gives Santana goosebumps. She's confused; Rachel told her she likes her, they kissed, she told Rachel it won't happen, but now Rachel is talking to her and lay her head on her shoulder._'And that fucking perfume!'_ Santana force herself not to roll her eyes. "She knows how to pick them; Elliot looks like a great boy and Marley.. They'd be good together."

"I didn't get any sleep last night.. I couldn't after what happened." Rachel calmly explained. "But, don't focus on that right now.." she yawned into her hand. "They look like they're having so much fun.." Rachel looked up at Santana for a few moments then back at the girls playing pool.

"Me too.." Santana whispers, "Dani grew so much since you brought her home, it's like she's who she was suppose to be." She smiles at the girls' direction.

As they were playing pool, Marley moved close to Dani, leaving little space between them. "Hey uhm.. Are your mom's actually together? Or.. Like what's up with them?" She asked quietly.

Dani tensed up, but relax quickly; she should've expected it, everyone can see there is something between the two. "They will be, soon." Dani looks at Santana and Rachel and wave to them, mouthing to them to stop looking.

Marley waved at them as well then focused on Dani. "Do you have some form of a plan?" She asked further, "They do look like they should be together, I could see it."

"My auntie and I are tying to make them open their eyes and yesterday they went out and I think something happened, they're weirder than usual." Dani tells Marley, "Maybe we can check it out, _if_ you're up for some fun?" Dani smirks.

"Compared to me teaching you pool?" She shrugged and smirked back at Dani. "Show me the fun, cute thing." Marley winked then grabbed the pool stick from Dani's hand to finish up the set they started, but keeping her eyes on the three other women.

"Oh, tell me you know I didn't mean it like that!" Dani pouts.

Marley stuck her tongue out at Dani "Just show me." She playfully demanded.

"You see, Santana may look like the over protective one, but Rachel.. You're going to see." Dani starts, watching Marley getting ready to hit, "There is a woman on the other side of this place that keeps looking at Santana, not that this doofus would even notice." She makes herself look busy so the older women won't notice, "I'll go tell Rachel we're thirsty and she's gonna take me to buy us something to drink. I'll just mention the woman and we'll see what happens." Dani grins, feeling proud of herself.

Rachel smiled a bit. "Yeah sure, honey. What do you two want? Also do you want anything Santana?" She asked as she gave kind looks to the 3 women.

"A if it's not too much trouble Ms. Berry." Marley requested as she finally finishes the set she started.

"No, I'm cool, thanks." Santana reply.

"Can I have a coke?" Dani asks and pulls Rachel from her seat.

Rachel got up and nodded "Yes, you can have a Coke, anything else? Maybe I can get an order of fries, or something for you two to munch on?" she asked.

"Yeah! Thanks, Rach." Dani walks with Rachel to order and when the woman is done paying, it's time for her plan.

"Yeah, that table over there.. Thank you." Rachel smiled, then looked down at Dani. "You having fun, hon?" She asked then played with Dani's hair carefully.

"Yeah, Marley is a good player, she taught me." Dani answers and sneaking a glance to where Marley is. "And you?"

"I am having a wonderful time, say, how about when we are done with here I will take us to a Redbox or something and you and Marley can pick a movie to rent, any movie you want." Rachel suggested as she awaited the drinks.

"Y-You don't have to, we have lots of movies at home.." Dani concerned that they spend so much money on her and she knows how hard both of them work for it.

Rachel smiled a bit, "Yes, I know, I just wanted to make sure you two had entertainment tonight." Rachel scratched the back of her head nervously. "I wonder why it's taking so long to get soda." She looked back at the counter.

"And I wonder why that woman keeps looking at Santana." Dani gives her acting skills a try, "Like, hello, it's inappropriate." She tries not to smile and to sound annoyed, hoping Rachel would buy it.

Rachel's eyes widened a bit "What?" She asked out loud then covered her mouth. "Uh.. Yeah, rude.. Inappropriate.." Rachel looked around the area for a few moments.

_'Too easy..'_ Dani stifles her laughter, "She's been looking at her all night, and of course Santana doesn't even notice here." Dani turns around to the counter,"Here our drinks and chips, let's go." Dani takes the drink off the counter and starts to go.

Rachel growled under her breath but kept her cool for Dani's sake, "Y-Yeah, let's.." She grabbed the basket of fries and walks with Dani back to the table.

Dani gives Marley her drink and goes back to take the fries, "Thanks, Rach!" She gives the woman a kiss and goes back to the pool table. "Now you just wait and see." She smiles at Marley and eat some fries from the basket.

Rachel glared towards the direction of the woman as she sat besides Santana, moving closer to her roommate. _'Bitch better back off.. This is mine.. What the hell is wrong with me?'_ She looked at the young girls and smiled. "You enjoying the fries?" Rachel rested her head upon her palm.

"Yeah, they're ok." Dani says and her and Marley giggles. "If only a glare could kill." Dani tells Marley loud enough for only her to hear.

"God, you're some kind of evil." Marley points out with a giggle in her voice. "She is.. Really into her, and it's obvious." she continued as she walks over to Dani, she then took a fry and poked the tip of Dani's nose gently, making a _'boop'_ sound before taking a bite of her fry.

Dani giggles and gently push Marley, "I'm Cupid; they won't be together on their own, I'm helping." She smiles widely, then glance at that woman and rolls her eyes. "I don't think She'd let her even get up from this chair to use the bathroom." Dani eats one more fry, "Can I try again?" She points at the stick in Marley's hand.

"You're gonna have to pay for the next set, I just cleared the first one." Marley pointed out as she handed the stick to Dani. "But, let's make this interesting, how about you and I make a little wager?" She leaned over the table looking into Dani's eyes.

Dani hearts racing and she licks her lips, "A-About what?"

"If I win, you have to tell me a bit more about yourself, if you win, I will tell you a bit about myself." Marley pushed some hair behind her ear, keeping a confident look on her face, "How about it?" She stuck her hand out.

"It's on!" Dani shakes Marley's hand and goes to put the money in, "But you know, it's not a fair game."

* * *

An hour or so later, the four women were back in the apartment. Santana order Subway on their way, so the food arrived just in time. The older women told the girls to go into the living room and put on a movie, while they brought them dressings and something for them to drink.

"One movie and then you go to sleep, girls." Santana tells them, "Have fun. We'll be in our rooms, if you need anything."

"Thanks, 'Tana." Dani says and take a bite.

Marley sat comfortably on the couch, carefully eating her sandwich, double checking to see if she made a mess with each bite. "Mm.. Man I love their sandwiches, but damn do they make them messy." She set the sandwich on the coffee table, then wiped her hands on a napkin. "So, you owe me an explanation, since I won."

Dani looks around to make sure they're alone and pause the intro of the movie. She takes a sip from her drink and puts her sandwich on the table, as well. "Ugh, I don't know why I agreed to that." She sighs, "But a bet is a bet. I lived her for almost a month; Rachel took me in and made sure I'm ok. At first, Santana had some issues, but now, both of them.. They're my parents" Dani plays with her fingers, nervous of what Marley would think, "Maybe it's weird for someone from the outside, but here I feel at home, I feel safe and loved.."

"I actually understand quite a bit." Marley smiled at Dani, "Elliot, is actually staying with me and my mom." She confessed while moving closer to Dani, resting her head upon the others shoulder. "Elliot came to New York after his dad passed away, he couldn't live with his mom because she was abusive to him.. And all he had was that playbill he had you give to Rachel to sign.. He said that as long as he had that.. There was no way, he couldn't find luck." Marley continued to explain. "One night, these guys were roughing him up and one guy was going to sexually assault him.. But my mom pulled out a triple barrel, aimed it at the group and told each of them to back away from Elliot.. I highly doubt they knew it was a play prop either." She bit her lip slightly. "Elli is like a little brother to me, ever since middle school.."

"Wow.. Your mom rocks and Elliot's luck definitely changed for the better." Dani finally says after she took a minute to process all the new information, "Our stories not exactly the same and I'm not ready to tell it just yet, but I get his pain." Dani looks in Marley's eyes, "Also, you and your mom are amazing people."

Dani's jaw dropped, but, somehow, she recovers; pressing play on the remote and Put one hand on Marley shoulder. She doesn't want to freak out and ruin the moment, she can freak out when she'd be alone. Dani reminds herself that maybe Marley meant it as a friend, but pushes the thought away; she's following Santana's advice and so far so good.

When the movie ended, Santana came into the living room and told the girls to go get ready for bed, while she cleaned the area. The two friends yawn together and giggled, then went to do as they were told. Fifteen minutes later, Santana opens Rachel's door and looks at the girls, already in Rachel's bed.

"Is everything ok here?"

"Yes, we're fine." Dani answers.

"Good." Santana smiles at them, "Have a good night and no funny business." She catches the hint of blush and both the girl's faces before turning off the lights and closing the door. _'Soon there won't be any closed door while Marley stays here.'_ She thinks and goes to the kitchen to have a drink. There she sees Rachel's sandwich, untouched. The woman said she had a big lunch, but Santana wasn't having it; she grabs the wrapped sandwich and goes to her room. She gets in, close the door and stand beside Rachel, who lies on the bed with her computer.

Rachel was typing away on her laptop, she was doing her research on the various dance routines that she could incorporate into her classes. "Maybe.. I should consider doing more than just dance.." She softly spoke to herself.

"Ignore me all you want, but you're eating this." Santana unwraps the sandwich and sits in the small space beside Rachel, "Open your mouth."

Rachel shook her head then closed her laptop, "I am not hungry Santana.. I was saving that sandwich for lunch tomorrow." She said as she looked up at her roommate.

"I'll make you lunch tomorrow. You are eating this damn thing." Santana takes a small piece out of it, "The girls are sleeping, you don't want them hearing me shoving it down your throat. Eat!" Santana promised herself she won't let what happened to Rachel at the club, happen again. Even if Rachel would hate her for it. She got so scared over her.

"I will eat half of it, I really am not that hungry, so be happy with that." Rachel took the sandwich from Santana's hand, then she took a couple bites from it. Rachel kept her glare at Santana as she ate the sandwich.

Santana wasn't backing down, she stares at Rachel until she eats the amount she told her. "Good. And that's what will happen every time I catch you skipping a meal." Santana gets up and go to the other side of the bed. She planned on working tonight, but Dani asked her to stay in case she'd need her, which clearly she didn't, and now she has to sleep with Rachel in the same bed because neither of them likes to sleep on the sofa. So Santana gets in to her bed, takes her phone out of the charger and checks for new messages.

Rachel observed Santana's figure, she was mere inches from the beautiful canvas of the woman before her. 'Oh, if given the chance.. There wouldn't be a part of Santana that didn't get explored by me..' she thought to herself, then she set her laptop on the floor, scooting it under the bed. "I.. I think we need to talk about.. Last night.."

Santana tenses up, "How did the session go?" It's no like she didn't try to get it out of Ashley, but her friend didn't tell her anything. She knows Rachel wants it, but something in her hopes nothing happened there.

"What session.. I couldn't go through with it." Rachel admits as she looks the Latina in the eyes, "I mean the hair pulling happened, but that was it.. She knew, what I wanted before I could fully grasp that concept." She explained. "We talked about my issues, and then I started having a bit of a panic attack, mixed with fatigue from lack of food."

Santana tear her eyes from Rachel's, "I'm sorry that happened. I can set you up with someone new whenever you want." She says, scrolling down Facebook, "Now you know better what you want after you talked." Santana is relived that her assumptions were right and she really don't want this talk to continue.

"It would have to be an exact clone of you before I would ever consider it.." Rachel spoke out, then quickly covered her mouth. _'Dammit! I could have sworn it was in my head this time..'_

Santana can't move, she doesn't blink or breathe. Once again, her body feels like it's on fire because of Rachel. She closes her eyes for a long moment before speaking, "No, you can't say things like that!" She looks at Rachel; Santana realizes it's a mistake, but she can't look away now.

Rachel glared at Santana for a few moments; she knew Santana's intentions were good, but she just wanted her roommate happy, and who better to make her happy than Rachel? "Look, I am getting sick of my body feeling like it's on fire every time I am close to you, and how much I just want to.." Rachel started to stammer a bit as turned her body, gently yanking at Santana's top. "I want to rip every piece of cloth, all of those thread counts, I would pull off and make you mine.. If I can't be yours in a romantic way, then why the hell can't we have a sexual relationship? We've seen each other naked many times, we kissed a few times as well, and I know you are thinking the same thing Santana, don't try to pretend you haven't."

Santana swallows the lump in her throat, ugh, how much she wants to flip Rachel on her back and take her, make her scream. But no, she can't let it happen; cold shower, new panties, keeping her distance.. Santana would do anything she possibly can to not break her rule. "We're not having sex. We're friends and friends don't sleep with each other!"

This was tearing Rachel completely, and she wasn't going to just let this chance at being Santana's happiness slip. She got on her knees, straddled her lap, keeping her hands Santana's shoulders. "No.. You're forgetting something.. I can return the feelings.. I wouldn't break your heart.. Do you not realize that? I'm not her for fucks sake.." Tears started to form in the brunette's eyes. "I know you're scared to try, you think I was going into this unphased? I am scared as fuck.. I am scared of you, scared of what will happen, but I am even terrified of missing out on the chance to be someone to make you happy.."

That must be a punishment from God, Santana thinks, and she has no idea what she had done to deserve it. "Stop psychoanalyzing me! Yes, Brittany fucked me up, but I'd be stupid not to learn from it and repeat the same mistake again." Having Rachel on her lap and so closed makes it ten times harder and oh, how much she wants to say yes to Rachel, but can't. "You want me to fuck you? Then what? I can't, you think you get it, but you don't. I can't give you more!"

"You really think I am not fucked up from my past either?" Rachel's body started to shake a bit, mainly due to how overloaded with emotion she was feeling for Santana. Finally, she settled for lying, "I just need something different.. And I only want it from you.." She frowned as she took her glasses off so that Santana could see how much Rachel just simply needs her, "I am willing to take whatever you're able to give me Santana.."

Santana places her hands on Rachel's hips and squeeze, "It'd ruin us. If we start this, it's going to change our friendship and we won't be able to get it back." Her hands squeeze harder; she needs the control and the roughness, even this tiny bit of it, just so she won't lose it, "I'd be your Mistress, but that's all."

Rachel slowly nodded, leaning against Santana to hug her as tight as she could. Even if she couldn't get a full fledged relationship out of Santana, she was willing to settle for having Santana be her mistress, "I'm sorry.." She softly whispers into her roommate's ear, quietly repeating herself as she held on to Santana a bit tighter.

"I'm sorry to, Rach, for everything and for everything that'll come." Santana whispers in Rachel's ear, "Lay on the bed, Rach, can you do this? I'd make sure you're alright."

"C-Could you move my glasses for me.. I can't afford to replace them if I accidentally break them." Rachel leaned up a bit and started to rub her eyes.

Santana nods, takes Rachel's glasses and puts it next to her phone on the table next to the bed. "Come on, turn on your side. It's late, you need to sleep."

Rachel carefully crawled off of Santana, then laid on her side, facing the wall. She couldn't fully call this a victory, but she wasn't unsatisfied with the result. She continued to sniffle, but she was more calm now than she was all day.

Santana waited a second before she moves; she was so scared of what's going to happen when the sun will rise. This all thing wasn't fair, to neither of them, but she wants Rachel and that's the only way she can have her. Santana shifts on the bed and spoon Rachel; her arms tightly around her friend's body and she press her front to Rachel's back. Santana moves the hair from Rachel's neck and kiss her for a long minute. "I really am sorry, Rach, and I care about you. Try to get some sleep, I got you."

"D-Don't let go.." Rachel softly spoke before falling asleep, one hand was resting above Santana's.

* * *

**A lot happened. Tell us what you think :)**

**'till next time.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Written with Newphewsnixx.**

**Thanks to all the people who read, follow, favorited and review the story!  
**

* * *

Dani slowly wakes up; it was some time during the morning hours that Dani's body unfortunately wanted to roam. She attempted to get up, but she noticed an arm wrapped around her waist, her eyes scanned towards the left of her and saw a young Marley Rose cuddled up against her. _'Oh.. Oh lord..'_ She gulped and reluctantly moved the brunette's arm away from the waist. Dani got out of bed and stretched her body for a few moments, then she stumbled a bit to the bathroom, she flipped on one of the dimmed lights, then approached the counter, she turned on the faucet and started to wash her face. After she finished, she turned off the water and stumbled back towards Rachel's room, but bumps into the wall head first, a book falls, but Dani didn't notice it, she was more focused on her head for a few seconds. She looked at the floor, and saw that the book that fell, had opened and it was on a page that had recent writing. "What in the.." She softly asked as she picked the book up and walked back to the bed.

Santana woke up at noon to an empty bed. She had a small headache, she assumed, caused by the events of the previous night. She groaned loudly and got up, _'I'm going to think about it, but I need my coffee first.'_ She thinks. The place is quiet, so Santana thinks everybody left; maybe Rachel took the girls for breakfast somewhere.. She washed up quickly and went to make herself a big cup of coffee to start her day. When she was done, Santana sat on one of the stools, smelled the coffee and just closed her eyes.

Dani takes in the scent of the coffee, she slowly makes her way to Santana almost in a trance from the coffee. Dani sat beside Santana, looked up at her and beamed needy eyes towards the Latina's direction.

Santana is startled by by Dani presence, but relaxed immediately and raise her eyebrow at the girl. "Morning, hon. Can I help you?"

"Make me a cup of coffee, please?" Dani fluttered her eyelashes, giving Santana a lip bitten smile, "Pretty please?"

Santana shakes her head and giggles, "You're so cute, you're going to do great in life with that smile." The older woman gets up and make a fresh cup for the girl. "So, did Rachel and Marley leave a long time ago?" She asks, stirring the hot drink.

"Marley left a couple hours ago, I walked her to her house, and Rachel was gone when I woke up." Dani rested her head on her palm. "Does Rachel keep tabs of a lot of things here?" She asks while watching Santana make the coffee.

"Ah, pretty much." Santana steps back to her chair and places the cup in front of Dani, "She does all the finances, has a list for groceries and has one for our schedules.."

"What about personal stuff.. Like.. How long does it.." Dani nearly gags at the thought of where she was going. "H-How long does she last? Or.. How long she jogs for?" She decided to finish the list of questions on a strong note, but feels like she ultimately failed.

"Last? Wh-" Santana shakes her head, "I don't know, but I won't be surprised, she loves to keep lists of everything." She scratch her face, "What with all the questions? And do you feel alright? You look weird." Santana reach and checks Dani forehead for fever.

"This morning I woke up to wash my face, and I bumped into a wall in Rachel's bathroom.. A book fell, and it had a list of her weight and what she ate throughout the day." Dani sent a worried look towards Santana, "The number kept going down.." She looked at her cup of coffee then took a sip.

"What? I know she's trying to get in shape, but I don't think she'd go that far, D." Santana takes a couple of sips from her coffee. She couldn't think Rachel would do something that drastic; she's so healthy, and maybe she cut off a little weight, but not to the point she'd keep a journal and stop eating all together.

"Santana, she weighs less than I do, and I don't weigh that much." Dani explains to Santana as she took another sip of her coffee. "I've never been the one to boss people around, but I'd check up on her if I were you."

"D, you're exaggerating. She likes order and to know where she stands, it doesn't mean something is wrong." Santana gets up and takes both of their cups to the sink, "Now, tell me, how things went with Marley yesterday?"

_'I wasn't even finished.. Whatever..'_ Dani rolled her eyes and shrugged. "Her book is on her bed if you don't believe me, and things went good." She explained as she walked to the couch.

* * *

Two weeks, that's how long it took Santana and Rachel to find time that both of them free and have the apartment just to themselves. It was a Friday morning; Rachel had a free day and Santana didn't have any errands. And if Santana being honest with herself, she's glad they had some time before their first session; she had to get herself ready and plan how she's going to do it. Now they're about to do it and Santana wants it so badly, but at the same time she's scared. She stands in front of the mirror in her room and look at her reflection, "When I step out, there won't be any fears or softness. I'm a professional and Rachel is only my sub." She reminds herself and smoothing the wrinkles on her purple dress, the one she knows Rachel loves. Then it's time to go; Santana leaves her room and walks into the living room in her black high heels.

"Rachel?" Santana calls for her with a smirk on her face.

Rachel jumps a bit at the sound of Santana's voice, not in fear, but in contained excitement. After Rachel mentally prepared herself, with the assist from Ashley, the diva felt more than confident she can last with Santana in this form of a relationship. Rachel even got her contacts on just for this session _'Okay.. Remember Rachel.. No feelings, just sex.. Painful, but enjoyable nonetheless.'_ She nods to herself before opening the door, she steps out of her room wearing a black dress that reaches further down one leg than the other, and a pair of high heels to match what she was wearing. "H-Hi.." Rachel calmly waves at the Latina before her.

Santana takes in Rachel's appearance and subconsciously lick her lips. She takes a few steps towards the other woman and move her fingers on Rachel's side, "Let's sit on the couch, we need to talk for a second." She says and walks, taking a seat in her usual place.

Rachel made her way to the couch, sitting across from Santana. "You.. You look nice.." She complimented as she gently scratched her arm. _'Nice one, Berry..'_

"Rachel.." Santana can't hear her talk like that; she worked hard to get her feelings under control and when Rachel says things like that it's.. It makes her heart skip a beat. "You need to choose a safe word and it's a decision you need to make on your own. But, the word can't be 'no' or 'stop' or something similar to that." Santana explains.

Rachel nodded once, "How about.. Gold Star? I still kinda use them.. I mean they are my thing still to this day." She looked at Santana, giving her a pursed smile. She let her hair down over her right shoulder, gently playing with her hair.

The Latina needs to pinch herself to get out the of trance she was on, watching Rachel play with her hair, wearing that dress. "It's your choice." She crosses her legs, "Now, I've read your list of things you don't want to do, so you can be sure I won't cross the line. I'm going to explain what's going to happen for now on, ok?"

_'My god, so professional.'_ Rachel honestly felt a bit warm whenever Santana had a serious tone of voice, the idea of being talked to by someone she liked a lot was something she couldn't get over. "O-Okay." she nodded once more.

"Once in session, we're not friends; I'm your Mistress and you're a submissive. We'll go over the rules in a little while, but that's something you need to understand." Santana's tone is firm, but not mean, "You can use your safe word at any time you want or need and the session would stop in that second. Don't be scared, for any reason, to use it. It's there to protect you." Santana sees that Rachel still in focus, "I'll let you know when the session ends every time. But, it doesn't end in the bedroom for you; because you're not my client, things we'll change around the house.."

"I understand.." Rachel stopped playing with her hair and placed her hands on her lap. "Uhm.. Which bedroom are we doing this in?" She asked as she bit her lower lip nervously. "And also.. Am I your first.. At home submissive? Like, have you made house calls before?" She continued to ask.

"I only do this at the club, I feel that at home it's too personal." She stares at Rachel for a long moment, "Anyways, like I said, you're not my client, this is an upgrade to our relationship." Santana gets up, "Go to your room, be on your knees next to the bed."

Rachel got up and walked to her room, the second she goes in she moves to the bed, then sits on her knees, resting her hands on her lap. '_Dear Barbra, guide me through this..'_ She gulped and looked at the floor.

_'You can do this, Lopez!'_ Santana nods and walks in Rachel's room. The sight almost causing her to lose control and ripe Rachel's dress of right this second, instead she walks and stands behind Rachel. "I know Ashley stated the rules with you, but we're starting fresh. Are you ready?"

**-Flashback-**

_Rachel had hers and Ashley's coffee in her hands as she approached the table, "Thank you for coming by on such short notice, you're the only one I know from that club that I can sorta talk to." She sat at the table, sliding Ashley's coffee over to her._

_"It's not a problem. I'm happy to help in any way I can." Ashley holds the cup, not yet drinking from it, "So what's going on?"_

_"I.." Rachel took a deep breath, "Santana.. Agreed to be my mistress.." She bit her lip in an attempt to contain her excitement, "But, we haven't had a 'session' and I want to know what that.. I need a basic run down of it, but the non physical version."_

'That's why she was so strange..'_Ashley smiles and nods, "I'm happy for you, Rachel." She caresses Rachel's hand then brings it back to her cup, "It's different for every Mistress, but I can tell you in general. Like I did, Santana will start with rules, guidelines and what she's expecting from you. You are to listen and nothing more, don't even move. I don't think Santana would be her usual self with you, but she absolutely hates when people break her rules." Ashley starts to explain._

_"Have you.. Heard any complaints from clients of Santana's?" Rachel continued to ask, "Has anyone gotten too hurt, or not hurt enough.. Like.. I am so new to this kind of relationship." She parted some hair behind her ear._

_"You don't have anything to worry about," Ashley wishes she could talk to Rachel about the real reason, but she didn't want to cross the line, "Santana is very professional; she will punish if it's needed, but it'd always be fair and with the right roughness. Moreover, your relationship is different, you're doing this full time; Santana will adapt to your needs and vice versa." Ashley drinks her coffee and waits for Rachel to continue._

_Rachel nodded a bit as she sipped her coffee. "What about ways to tolerate pain.. Like how can I do that? My skin is sensitive, and since I am an actor.. I am a bit sensitive myself."_

_"Hmm.. First, I think you should tell Santana that. You need to tell her everything for it to work, for both of your sakes; She'd hate herself if she'd ever did something you don't want." Ashley points out, "Besides that, you can work out and push yourself; you'd get sore at first, but it'll help your muscles and improve your stamina." Ashley says, then takes out a pen from her bag. She grabs a napkin and writes on it, "Santana have a lot of our own, but I recommend this cream; it helps with the pain and heal some injuries you might have." She hands the napkin to Rachel._

_"Thanks.." Rachel reads the napkin, then nods slowly, "I'll pick some up on my way home." She gave a smile towards the other woman. "Is there anyway I can repay you for the advice? Like.. I dunno, another coffee, dance lessons, maybe borrow a movie from Santana and I since we have like a billion of 'em?"_

_Ashley's eyes light up, "I'm always happy to help, but I won't say no to a dance lesson." She smiles._

_Rachel smiled back at Ashley as she reached into her purse, pulling out a business card, "Here, that has the address, my email, any info you need on enrolling. I will make your first year free as a solid to you and Santana." She explained, but really wanted to confess something she wouldn't normally confess. "Actually.. Between you and me, I am in the talks with the owner about possibly buying the building, he's offering me a great price for it.. Keep it a secret between me and you?" The brunette requested with a raised brow._

_"I thought we established you can trust me?" Ashley raises her eyebrow at Rachel, "Good for you! I hope you'll get it." Ashley's phone vibrates, "Oh, that's probably from the club, I'm sorry, I have to go." She stands, "But you know how to find me and that I'm always available for you. Thank you for the dance lessons and have fun with Santana."_

_"I may not plan it, but you know how she is." Rachel joked before stood up, holding her coffee with one hand. "I will see you in class, Miss Ashley." She winked, then turned to leave the coffee shop._

**-End of Flashback-**

Santana puts her hands on Rachel's shoulders and squeezes it hard, "I think I asked you a question, Rachel. You don't want to start off on the wrong foot." She keeps her tone normal.

Rachel's eyes widened a bit, "Oh shit.. Sorry." She shook her head to get the cobwebs out of her head. "Y-Yeah I am more than ready." She looked up at Santana with a serious look on her face, "I mean.. Yes, ma'am."

"Don't let it happen again." Santana releases her hold, "I know Ashley told you some of the rules, but I'll say them again," She stands straight behind Rachel, "You only speak when given permission and when you do, you call me Ms. Santana, ma'am or Mistress." Santana brushes her hand through Rachel's hair, "You're not allowed to touch me or yourself without an order. Now, this rule applies to when we're not in a session; your body is mine now, you touch it only when I tell you to. Am I clear so far?"

Rachel bit her tongue to hold back a sarcastic comment she had brewing in her mind, she looked up at Santana, "Y-Yes.. Mistress." She gave a slight nod, moving her hands to the floor.

"Moving on, you always take a shower before and after a session; you might think it's an obvious rule, but not to everyone.." Santana tries not to laugh, but then gets more serious, saying the next rule, "You're not allowed to sleep or do anything sexual with anyone else. Unlike in the club, that people come and go and we require them to get tested, here it's a relationship and I don't want anyone touching what's mine." Santana almost growls as her nails scratch Rachel's hair gently, "Do you understand?"

_'But does the faithful rule applies to you as well?'_ Rachel thought as she pursed her lips some and nodded, "Yes Mistress." Although it seemed a bit degrading, Rachel actually enjoyed Santana scratching her hair. It made her feel a bit spoiled.

"Good girl." Santana starting to think maybe it can actually work, "Now clothes. I may have requests now and then, but feel free to wear whatever you want. Tell me, you'd be comfortable if, lets say," Santana bends over so she could whisper in Rachel's ear, "I'd tell you to go some days without your panties?" She husks.

"F-Forgive me for possibly sounding sarcastic, Mistress.. But what about any form of underwear?" Rachel's face lit up at the thought of her being pretty much nude under her pants, and as much as she wanted to say she wasn't comfortable, she didn't want to give Santana a reason to doubt Rachel's will to be a good pet.

"Rachel, I asked a question and I expect an honest answer." She straightens up, "This can't work if you are not telling me what you want or don't want."

"I'd be willing to casually, but during my classes I.. Yes.. I'm willing." Rachel sighed and nodded, "Yes Mistress.." She looked at the floor.

"Rachel, I really don't want to have to punish you on our first session. You said but, so tell me so I can avoid making you feel bad." This is definitely not the same as being at the club and Santana is trying really hard to keep her cool.

"You want me pantieless.. I can go pantieless.. Whatever you want Mistress, I will do it." Rachel looked back at Santana, "Forgive me for being difficult, I was bad." She kept her eyes locked with her roommate's.

"No, I asked you how would you feel about it." Santana place her right hand on her waist, "We can call it quits now if you're not going to be honest with me about how you feel and what you want, because this whole thing buit on trust." Santana is conflicted; professionally she needs to be much stricter, but it's Rachel and she can't, "I'm here to take care of you. You're not my slave, I'm not gonna force you into anything. I want you to enjoy this as much as possible." She explains, hopping to get to Rachel.

"Look Santana..." Rachel shook her head, "Mistress.. I am perfectly comfortable with doing what you want, and if going pantieless is what you would want me to do, then I will do it. I would feel happy to do what you ask." She did her best to explain to Santana. "I did not mean to bark, sorry.."

Santana sighs, "I'll think about." Santana says, "Ok, grace period is over, now you'll get punished if you break the rules." Santana unzips Rachel's dress, "Take your dress off and stay with your back to me."

Rachel moved one strap down, blushing deeply at what she is about to do. She follows up with moving the other strap down her arm, then she pushes the part of her dress that covers her chest down past her waist. _'Crap I need to stand up to take the rest of it off..'_ Rachel stood up long enough to get her legs out of the dress, then quickly sat back down on her knees.

Santana let a smile slip, but removes it just as quickly, "Stand."

"Yes Mistress." She stood up, feeling exposed and nervous. Rachel has been naked around Santana before, but that was different; back then it was just an occasional bump into each other type of deal or when they knew they didn't like each other. Now, Rachel is just in her underwear, in front of Santana! The woman she actually wants, more and more as the clock ticks.

Santana moves her index finger along Rachel's back, trying to think what she wants to do to her first. Yes, it's not the first time she sees that perfect body, but now she really sees it, she wants to explore every part of it and hear Rachel screaming her name. And it's safe; they're not a couple, it's all part of a session. Santana press her body against Rachel's and rest her hands around the woman's hips and kiss her shoulder.

As much as Rachel loved Santana being this close, she was not a fan of her hips being held, mainly due to when she looks at Santana's hands.. _'Oh god, her hands.. All over that fat..'_ Rachel's body started to shake, "G-Gold Star.. Gold Star.." She moved herself away from Santana and started to rub her arms, when she realized that Santana could see her, her embarrassment level increased, "D-Don't look." Her body shook a lot more as she lowered to her knees, hugging them to her chest as tight as she could.

Santana took a step back, she's in shock; she barely touched Rachel.. Oh, wait, _'Fuck, Dani was right. It's worse than I thought. Dammit!'_ It hits Santana and she's now worried about her friend. "Rach," She lowers herself to the same height, "We're done. You're in distress, please let me hold you so you could calm down." She tells her softly.

"S-Stay away.." Rachel pleaded as she tried to back away but her back was already against her drawer, "D-Don't look at this hideous beast.." Tears dripped down her face.

"Rachel! I won't get any closer, but I won't allow you to speak like that about yourself!" In her wildest dream, Santana couldn't imagine Rachel is in such bad place with her body image. She decides to take a different approach, hoping that'd get the woman to calm down, "What I told you before? That body is mine and you're can't say things like that about what's mine, you hear me? I've been preparing for this moment for two weeks and all I could think about when I saw you in that dress is how much I want to rip it off your body. You're freaking beautiful!"

Rachel bit her lower lip, trying to prevent it from quivering more. "N-No.." She shook her head as she lowered her legs to the floor, her hands rested on her stomach, "No.." Rachel felt a bit weak; her body was suffering from lack of sleep and food. "I.. I am too fat to be beautiful.." She softly spoke.

"What are you talking about? You're the most gorgeous woman I've ever seen! Your nose, your lips, your eyes and that body.." Santana slowly gets closer to Rachel and cups her face, "Breath taking." Before Rachel can protest, Santana connects their lips and pushing her tongue inside Rachel's mouth. She brushes the tears from her face and slid her hands to Rachel's neck and pull her closer, moaning softly when she feels Rachel's tongue.

Rachel wanted to hold Santana as tight as she could, but remembering the rule Santana had made for her to not touch, she just returned the kiss, gently tugging Santana's tongue with her own.

Santana moves her hands to Rachel's knees and part them, pushing her body against Rachel's. Her eyes roll back when she feels Rachel's front against her and she's tempted to just grab what's hers. But that can wait. Santana breaks the kiss with a bite on Rachel's bottom lip, "You.." Her breath is uneven, "I told you to not skip a meal and you clearly hurting yourself, that's deserves a punishment." Santana states, "I won't let you do this kind of things to your perfect body. Now," Her eyes darken, "Are you up for it? Cause I'm planing to show you just how much I like your body after."

"Y-Yes.." Rachel raised her head up a bit, her lips quivered feeling hungry for Santana's kiss, "I.. I think I need punishment.." She confessed in-between breaths.

Hearing Rachel saying that, Santana almost orgasmed. She gets up and pulls Rachel with her, turning her over and, with not too much force, pushing her on the bed. "On the bed, now! And don't lose the heels." Santana orders. _'What have I gotten myself into? This woman would kill me._ She thinks and bites her lips as she watch Rachel move.

Rachel moved onto the bed a bit more, blushing deeply at how she was positioned. _'I feel more exhausted.. But I need this.. It feels amazing and she hasn't touched me yet.'_

Santana sits behind Rachel, her left hand roaming on the woman's back, "Now, because it's your first time and we barley started, I'm going to go easy on you." She explains, "I'm glad you used your safe words and you can use it at any time." Santana reminds Rachel, "You're getting 10 smacks for hurting your body. From now on, I'll pay much closer attention to your eating habits. And next time you get punished, you'll be the one telling me the reason. Is everything clear?"

"Y-Yes Mistress.." Rachel nodded slowly. At the touch of Santana's hand, she arched her back, biting her lip some more.

"Both hands on the bed." Santana instructs, "You're not to make a sound, only when I tell you."

The brunette listened to her roommate, gripping the edge of the bed, then she bites down on her tongue, _'P-Please.. Get on with it..'_

Santana adjusts herself and let her eyes scan Rachel's body, she's so hungry for her. She puts one arm on Rachel's waist, holding her in place. Then, Santana moves her hand gently on Rachel's ass, then smacks her twice. She watch Rachel's body react to it as she resume the gentle movement.

Rachel's eyes widened quite a bit, holding in any noise she would make, she was unsure if they would have been noises of pain, or pleasure, but she just wanted to do what Santana said.

A smack after a smack, Santana can see Rachel's ass getting redder. Now, only two more left and she needs to hear Rachel's voice. Santana moves her palm dangerously near the other woman's center, "How do you feel, Rach?"

"F-Fantastic.." She was breathing in and out, she never would have thought in a million years that Santana would be this close, and this physical with her. Rachel was enjoying it a bit more than she thought she would.

"I think you forgot something, Rachel." Santana smirks and finish the two smack and adding another one for Rachel breaking the rules once again, "You're all done, dear, but I can see we have a long way to go with your training.. You're being a bad girl." Santana's hands moving on Rachel's back, scratching a little, "Usually, bad girls don't get rewarded, but today is special." She stops close to Rachel's breasts, "Turn over, on your back."

"Yes Mistress." Rachel smirked a bit as she turned to her back, she looked up at her roommate with needy eyes. _'The adrenaline.. God, I love it..'_ She breathed in and out a few more times.

"I can see someone enjoyed their punishment, huh? I'm starting to think it's not such a good idea to touch you.. What do you say, Rach?" Santana doesn't think she can stop even if there was an earthquake, but she can't let Rachel be so smug.

Rachel furrowed her eyebrows and shook her head. "N-No Mistress." She gulped a bit._'What in the hell are you doing San? Trying to hurt me?'_ A soft whimper was heard from her.

"Cute." Santana bites her inner cheek so she won't kiss Rachel again, "So if you want it, why am I still dressed? Take my dress off."

Rachel sat up, moved closer to Santana, then unzipped the back of her dress, fighting off every urge to feel the skin of the Latina before her. _'I need this.. So badly..'_ she thought to herself as she pushed the upper body of Santana's dress, down past her waist.

Santana leans back and raises her body at Rachel, glancing the dress and back at the woman. She's just can't wait to see Rachel's reaction to her being fully naked.

The dress was easy for Rachel to remove from Santana's person, and what a body her person was. Rachel gently licked her lips, keeping the tip of her tongue on her lips as her eyes scan every inch of the Latina's body. "Mistress.. Permission to speak?" She asked as she looked up at Santana.

Santana looks hungrily at Rachel, her body getting warm by the way the woman looks at her. Santana moves to sit on her knees in front of Rachel and her fingers of her right hand travel on the woman's collarbone, "Go ahead."

"I.." Rachel took a deep breath, "I need you.." She said as she leaned towards Santana, "I need this perfection." A blush formed as Rachel looked into Santana's eyes. _'I know this is nothing I haven't seen before but.. At the same time, this is new.'_ Rachel thought as she bit her lower lip, "Please.."

_'It's certainly not the first time I hear these words, but when it comes from Rachel..'_ Santana stifles a moan and pushes Rachel on her back and lays on top of her. Feeling her bare skin against Rachel's, Santana thrust forwards, causing her leg to brush on Rachel's center. Santana bit Rachel's lobe and whisper in her ear, "Who do you belong to, Rach?" She thrust forwards again.

"M-Mistress" Rachel arched her back, gripping the bed as tight as she could, "I-I belong to you.." She tries to hold back her moans, but even she is unsure if that's possible.

"Mine." Santana growls in Rachel's ear and her hand move to take Rachel's underwear off. When they're out of Santana's way, she part Rachel's legs further and her fingers slowly makes their way into Rachel. "I know you have an amazing voice, let me hear it." Santana make sure to be gentle with Rachel this time, she knows it's the woman's first time in years and it can be a little painful at first.

"Ah!" Rachel moans out the second Santana's fingers go inside her. "O-Okay.." She takes a couple more breaths, her face is flushed from the waves of ecstasy that's already pulsing through her body.

When Santana feels Rachel's body get used to her fingers, she speeds up her movements. She feels Rachel's walls squeezing her and the woman under her trying to grind against her, but Santana doesn't let Rachel move; she places her free hand on Rachel stomach and holds her in place. Then, Santana lowers herself on Rachel's body and start sucking and biting the skin on her chest, marking it as hers.

The pace Santana goes causes Rachel's moans to come out louder, her muscles tense the more she grips the blanket. She looks at Santana with needy eyes "F-Fuck.." she lets out as she looks back at the ceiling.

Satisfied with her marks covering Rachel's body, Santana hits Rachel a few times more in the right spot and feel her collapsing beneath her and letting out a loud moan. The Latina takes out her fingers and lays flush against Rachel, "So beautiful."

"Thank you.." Rachel gently nodded once as she lets go of the bed, she wanted to hold on to Santana as much as she could, but she didn't know if it was okay, so Rachel rested her hand on part of her stomach, _'I want to say a lot more than that..'_

"I'm going to bring you something small to eat and water." Santana gets up from the bed, "Then you should rest." She tells Rachel and walks naked to the kitchen.

"Yeah.. Okay.." Rachel caught in a trance at seeing Santana's body. She got off the bed, walked into her bathroom, then carefully took out the contacts that she was wearing, and placed them inside a sanitizing case. "Where are my glasses.." she feels the counter for them, once her hand touches them, she puts them on to see herself in the mirror. _'Okay.. Just.. Look away.'_ She turned away from the mirror, letting out a sigh of relief, then she walked back to her bed, sat down and leaned against the bed rest.

Santana returns from the kitchen with two yogurts and a bottle of water, "Eat." She gives Rachel the water and yogurt and set hers on the table next to the bed. Santana walks to the chair in the room and put on the robe that was on it and gets in bed. "Are you hurt? You feeling ok?"

"Uh.. No I am actually.. Relieved." She gave a slight smile towards Santana's direction as she took a spoonful of yogurt and ate some. "W-What about you? Are you feeling okay?" Rachel asked before taking another spoonful of yogurt.

Santana glance at the marks on Rachel's body and smile, "All good." She eats a little before speaking, "Do you still want it? Your training will start now and you may not get rewarded like that all the time."

Rachel bit her lower lip, slowly nodding, "I think I can handle it, and it'll be a good way to keep me out of this funk I've been in lately." She smiled some more as she placed her yogurt cup on the nightstand by her side, "But there is one problem.. I am a bit more energetic now."

"Yeah?" Santana licks the spoon clean, "Too bad, I thought you'd want to sleep with my arms around you.. Oh, well, I can find other things to do."

"Although, they say sleep does more good for your skin." Rachel lowered her body a bit, pulling some covers over her body. "Hold me, Mistress?" She begged as well as giving Santana her patented puppy dog eyes.

Santana places the empty cup on the table and lays her body close to Rachel's, wrapping her arms around her body, "You're lucky I like you." Santana gasps when she hears herself and her hold on Rachel's body tighten.

"9 years and it's still just like?" Rachel chuckles softly as she rests her head against Santana's shoulder._'Ding!'_ Her phone lights up, Rachel reaches to her nightstand to grab her phone, "Dammit, don't people get that I am comfortable.." She muttered as she opened the text, "Oh my god.. Yes.." Rachel's eyes widened, a smile was seen on her face, "S-Santana, I now own the dance studio."

"You what?! Santana moves her body up, "You bought the studio? That's amazing, Rachel! I'm so proud of you!" She hugs her friend and kiss her cheek, "You're destined for greatness, I always knew that."

Rachel sat up and gazed at the text. "I need.. Come with me to get the key?" She asked while holding Santana's hands, "Please?" Rachel, once again, begging.

"Of course." Santana pulls Rachel against her, "But when we're coming back, you need to put some cream and rest. Ok?"

Rachel nodded twice, then hugged Santana as tight as she could. "Thank you, for everything.. I mean it." she said as she let go of her roommate.

* * *

As soon as the keys went to Rachel, she had to tell her best friend about this, and knowing Kurt, he had to make a big spectacle about it by hosting a little party amongst the family. After a couple days, he got all the party stuff set up, the food was made, the iTunes playlist was also made, regardless of it being filled with various show tunes. What helped the night a bit was Burt coming into town to help Kurt make the food, he was cool with Dani, he met her a couple times, and almost every time he got to see her, he gave Dani one of his hats.

"Why every single time when we need to go out, I need to wait hours for you, guys?" Santana rest her head on the counter, dressed and ready to go, "Get yourself here and let's go!"

Rachel walked out, sporting a new pair of blue denim jeans, a magenta long sleeved shirt, a nice pair of mid-heel brown boots, and what looked to be one of Santana's dress jackets. "How do I look?" She shyly asked, "I didn't have anything to go with my shirt so I borrowed one of your jackets.. Hope you don't mind." Rachel bit her lip slightly

Santana scans Rachel's body and has to admit she likes that Rachel wore her jacket, "You look amazing." Santana looks behind Rachel and see that Dani is still getting ready, "Come here."

Rachel quickly made her way to Santana, nervously biting her lip. When she gets to Santana she stops and holds her hands together.

"I'm so proud of you. In the past month you gave a child her life back and although you lost so much, you recovered and now you own a business." Santana cups Rachel's face, "And you're going to have fun tonight and I want to see you eat. Or else you know what will happen." She kisses Rachel's cheek and let go when she sees Dani.

The pink haired girl smirks for a second when she sees how close the older woman are. "Do I look ok?" Dani points at herself.

"You look flawless, sweetie." Rachel nodded towards Dani, then looked at Santana for a few seconds, "Thank you, Santana.. Again, you're amazing." She pursed her lips for a few moments then walked to Dani, "We all set?"

"Yes! I need to see Kurt." Dani sees Santana's raised eyebrow and quickly explain, "He told me he has something to show me, but only when we get there." Dani takes Rachel's hand, "Come on!"

Santana rolls her eyes, "Kids.." She gives Dani a slight push when they pass next to her.

"When did we become the mature ones?" Rachel asked as she walks with Dani._'Seriously, this kid has been acting weird since I told her we were going to Kurt's for a special dinner..'_

"I feel old.." Santana says and opens the door to Kurt and Blaine's apartment, "We're here!" She announces and watches Dani run right past her, "Nice, D, way to show who you love most." Dani turns around and stick her tongue out for a second, then turn to find Kurt. "I don't want her coming here anymore" Santana pouts at Rachel.

"You know even if we told her no, she'd still end up over here by me or you." Rachel pointed out then noticed Kurt's dad cooking some meat, "Mr. Hummel, why must you go with the red meat?" She asked and shook her head.

Burt looked back at Rachel and Santana with a smile, "Because I know that little girl, Blaine, and Santana hate that tofu Un-American processed fluff." He answered with a chuckle in his voice.

"Yeah Rachel, he gets them better than you and I do." Kurt rolled his eyes as he finishes cleaning the dishes that were in the sink. "Hey Dani, meet me in the stylist room, I got some new shampoo and conditioner that I wanna test out." He lied, but that was their little code for talking about the two roommates down the hall.

Dani nods and walks to the room. She paces, trying to contain her excitement, until Kurt showed up. She stops when he enters and grins, "Kurt! I think our plan is working!"

Kurt nodded and smiled some "Yeah.. But what part of that did we really contribute in?" He asked as he sat down on one of the salon chairs, "I mean, all we did was send them out for that one night, and Rachel did her best to say that nothing happened."

"But after that night things started to change, no? More sneaking glances, more 'accidental' touches. Something happend that night, I'm sure!" Dani hugs him, "I'm going to have real parents soon."

"Hey, hey.. I am more than happy that you're happy, but these walls aren't thick, remember that." Kurt gently tapped Dani's nose but couldn't help but smile some more. "You're going to have more than just real parents, honey. You're going to have a real family soon." He happily pointed out. "I still can't believe Santana branded me your Auntie Porcelain.. It's so insulting." He shook his head.

Dani giggles, "I like it." Dani says and take his hand, "I had a small lunch because I knew your dad is cooking, so I'm starving. Let's eat!" She pulls him.

"Woah! You got the strength of an Ox I swear." Kurt pointed out as he was nearly yanked out of the seat by his pink-haired partner in crime.

"..And that's why I plan on running for Governor of Ohio." Burt finished as he portioned out the plates for each person. "Okay, Santana. I know you and Dani love my cooking so I made extra for you two to have for lunch tomorrow." He said before taking off his cooking apron and chef hat.

"Burt, they don't need all that meat, I mean Dani is a young woman, and Santana, well she didn't get fit by consistently eating meat." Rachel rolled her eyes as she sat at her spot on the table.

Blaine yawned and rubbed his eyes. "God, work is killing me.." He mumbled to himself as he awaited the food.

"Ah, excuse you!" Santana nudge Rachel's side, "The kid needs to get stronger and grow and I.. I know I can find a way to lose the weight." She pinch Rachel's inner thigh under the table. "Thank you, Mr Hummel. Dani and I will enjoy it!" Santana smiles at the man.

Rachel raised a brow, "Well, meh!" she smirked a bit before looking over at Kurt, "So Kurt, how was your week so far?" Rachel asked in a kind tone.

"Well it could be better I guess." Kurt said as he sat at the table across from Rachel, "Vogue is really pressing the Halloween crap on me, they want me to have a mini party over here because of my taste in fashion, but I don't want a bunch of starving women parading around in my design." He looked over at Blaine and held his hand. "I was hoping that for Halloween I could spend some time with Blaine, he's always busy at the hospital that I never see him outside of when he drops lunch off at work."

"Last night this guy came in claiming he had a broken arm, we told him he didn't because the x-ray showed it." Blaine held Kurt's hand as he sat up a bit, "And then they guy tried to make a Slip-and-Fall claim even though the floor wasn't wet."

"There are some crazy people in this city!" Santana says and continue eating.

"You have no idea!" One time a man told me he sold everything he owned because he believed aliens are trying to brainwash us and the government helps them." Dani says and laugh, then she turns to Rachel, "What are we doing for Halloween?"

Rachel shrugged "I really don't know, Halloween to me is just another day." She took a bite of the homemade Ramen that Kurt made her.

"Say, Dani, what about that friend of yours.. Marley? I think her name is." Kurt pointed out, "Do you know if she's doing anything? Because if you need I could hook you both up with some pretty sweet costumes." He said before eating his food.

Dani stops eating and take a big gulp of her orange juice, "Hm.. If we're not doing anything.." She looks between Santana and Rachel, then back to Kurt, "Her and Elliot invited me to their place for scary movie marathon and a sleepover.." She blushes and bites her lip.

Rachel's motherly instinct kicks in, "Is uhm.. Is Elliot going to be sleeping in the same room as you two?" She set her fork down, keeping an eye on Dani.

"No.." Dani answer with a mouth full of food.

"Well look at you, Momma Bear." Kurt joked as he took another bite of his food.

Rachel gave Kurt a mean glare, "Well excuse me for caring." She grumbled as she took more bites of her Ramen.

Blaine looked at the clock on his phone, "Damn, I'm afraid I gotta go.. Running late for work." He got up, pushed his seat in gently. "Burt, pleasure as always. Rachel congrats on the dance studio, I hope when I get some time off that I can help you renovate. Santana.. I don't have much to say. Dani, we're still on for mini-golf next week, right?" He asked.

"Mini-Golf?" Rachel also asked.

"Me and uncle Hair Gel going to have some bonding time." Dani smiles at Blaine.

"You don't have much to say" Santana glares at Blaine, "What about asking me if it's ok to take my kid out before telling her you will?"

"I figured she would have asked you after I asked if she wanted to." Blaine shrugged. "If it's not cool I don't have to take her. The reason I offered is because my ward won a raffle for a bunch of free mini-golf games. But because I don't have a child I wouldn't be able to use it, then Kurt suggested we take Dani out with us to play." He explained the best he can.

Kurt bit his lower lip and gave Santana some puppy dog eyes, "You gonna say no to Dani's Auntie Porcelain?" He asked in a playful tone, "Lighten up, Satan. It'll be just the three of us, for the day having fun. I told both of them that you and Rachel wouldn't mind since Rachel has to work on the studio, and you have what you do." Kurt took one more bite of his food.

Blaine shrugged again. "I love you Kurt." He snuck a quick kiss to Kurt's lips then walked to his book bag, hoisting it over his shoulder. "Bye guys." He waved at them before leaving the apartment.

Santana sighs and relaxes, "I don't mind, Lady lips, I just like to be informed of this kind of stuff." She turns to Dani, "D, next time ask us." She tells her and turn back to Kurt, "It's not only her responsibility to ask, you need to make sure we know. She's a kid, she forgets or get too excited.."

"I-I'm sorry, Santana." Dani's lower lip quiver.

Santana reaches to hold Dani's hand, "I'm not mad at you, hon. I'm just saying it for next time. You know I love you." It's been so long that Santana said those words to anyone. She gasps and snatch her hands from Dani, placing them on her lap and trying not to make eye contact with anyone.

Dani beams hearing Santana saying that, "I l-love you too, 'Tana." The young girl says and gets a nod in return. She smiles brightly and goes back to eating and texting.

Kurt nodded a bit, "I understand, and I am sorry for letting that bit of news spring on you." He reached his hand out towards Santana, "Forgive me?"

_'Did she just tell Dani she loved her?'_ Rachel was more focused on the little interaction between the two that she forgot that she was supposed to be sorta scolding Kurt for his forgetfulness, "Uhm.. Yeah, bad Kurt.. Uh.." She shook her head, "Why are we mad at Kurt again?"

Burt patted Kurt's back, "Sometimes even the best of us forgets our place. Kurt, it is your responsibility as an adult to inform Santana and Rachel if you want to spend time with Dani. Hell, I remember when you were a little guy, your mother would get so angry with me because I took you to a ball game without asking her." He leaned up on his seat. "Well, I think she was more mad at me, betting for the Sox to win one." He softly laughed.

Dani is too busy texting than listen to the grown ups talk, she's texting Marley; the other girl is telling her about her day and that Elliot used up all the hot water so she needs to wait an hour until she can shower. The two girls either spend a lot of time face-to-face or texting since the sleepover and Dani can't be more happy about it.

Santana feels anxiety taking over her body and she can't breath. She gets up from her chair, "E-Excuse me." She says quickly and goes outside.

"I think I left something at my apartment, so.. My pardons." Rachel got up, nodded at the 3 other people in the room then walked outside, seeing Santana. "Are you okay Santana?" She asks while slowly approaching the Latina, unsure if they were going by master and pet rules at the moment.

_'So you said those words! You do love the kid. Normal people have no problem with saying it to the people they care for..'_ Santana always had a problem expressing how she feels and when she did, something bad always happens; it was the last thing she told her father before he died in a car accident when she was 16, she said it to her grandmother when she came out and they never talked again, and the last time she said it was when Brittany broke up with her.. So she's shaken that it's just casually slipped her lips. Santana turns around when she hears Rachel voice and look at her with scared eyes.

Rachel furrowed her eyebrows worryingly, then the motherly side of her starts to kick in. "Honey, talk to me.." She requested as she moved closer to Santana. "I'm not going to hurt you.." Rachel calmly opened her arms, having one hand on the back of Santana's head, and the other on Santana's back as she pulled her roommate closer for a tight embrace.

"I.. I j-just told..." Santana stutterers. She lean on Rachel and holds her, "Now it's all ruined." Santana whispers.

"Nothing is ruined.." Rachel whispers as she strokes Santana's back, "If anything, it's better now.. Dani will be more comfortable than before, and your guys' bond will be stronger." She explains in a calm tone.

"No!" Santana pushed Rachel off of her, "It's always end up the same; my father, my grandma and her." Dani means so much to her now and Santana can't imagine not having the girl in her life. She leans on her wall and just stare at the ceiling.

Rachel sighed then placed her hands on Santana's shoulders, keeping a firm grip. "Santana, you listen to me, and listen good.. The only way it will ever end up the way it happened with your grandma, is if we were insensitive, the only way it would happen the way it happened with Brittany, is if we were too ignorant to realize what an amazing woman you are.. As for your dad.. You have my word, I won't let anyone harm Dani.." Rachel's voice was shaky but it was calm at the same time. "This isn't your submissive telling you, this is your roommate telling you. And your roommate needs you to be strong, for Dani's sake.."

Santana moves her hands to Rachel's waist and pulls her into a tight hug. She nuzzles against her neck; Rachel's touch and smell calms her down. "Thank you." Santana tells Rachel, her lips softly grazing her neck.

"Shh.." Rachel rests her head on Santana's and goes back to stroking her hair. "Momma Berry is here.." She kissed the top of Santana's head and slightly blushed that she called herself that, but she did like that title in all honesty.

Santana giggles, but doesn't change her position, "I think you mixed up the roles here, Rach." She feels she's getting back to herself, "You're the mother of that cute girl in there, but you're my sub." The light touch of her lips turns to biting.

"Oh yeah?" Rachel smirked as she lifted Santana's chin, "That maybe so.. But right now, I am the one taking care of you.. And you are the second most adorable thing I have seen." She bit her lip, fighting the urge to plant a fat kiss on Santana.

_'Kiss her!'_ Her mind keep screaming at her, but Santana won't do it. She pouts, not feeling Rachel's skin anymore, but instead her hand go under Rachel's shirt and caress her back, "Be careful or your ass will be red again and it just healed." Santana said, giving Rachel's behind a little smack and returning her hand to the woman's back, "By the way, I saw you eating and that's very good. Maybe you'd get a dessert later." Santana winks.

Rachel pressed herself a bit closer to Santana, "How about I spoil both our dinners.. You can punish me after." She spoke before tilting her head to kiss Santana, one hand cupping the Latina's cheek, the other hand holding on to one of Santana's hands, _'God I think I am sick for this woman.. Please never heal me.'_

Santana groan with Rachel's lips on her; before it was much easier to resist, now it's almost impossible. Almost. Santana bites Rachel's lips and push her from her body, "I've been too soft," She mumbles to herself and push her body from the wall, "You'll get punished for this tonight and I hope for you that you can be quiet." Her voice is firm as she looks at Rachel, "And you should know that bad girls don't get to feel good."

"Why wait?" Rachel asked with a thirst for lust in her voice, she slowly moved to Santana, biting down on her lip, "I think I need it now.." She whispers into Santana's ear before walking back to their apartment, unlocking the door. Rachel looked back at Santana for a few moments, then opens the door, making her way to her room, ridding her body of any clothes, then she sits beside her bed, waiting for Santana come.

Santana stands in the hall, shocked, for a minute; she can't believe Rachel just did it. Santana's body is beyond ready, but she can't and won't let anything happen. She walks in the apartment, lock the door and enter Rachel's room. Her eyes darken when she sees Rachel not wearing anything,_'fuck..'_ Santana knows she'd have to throw the panties she's wearing now. Even though Santana wants to push Rachel on the bed and take her, she stays at the front of the door and shakes her head, "I am your master, Rachel, if you forgot, I make the rules and I tell you when you'd get punished or when I get to have you." Her face has no emotion, "I made a mistake by being gentle with you because you need to learn your place. You're going to get dressed and go back to Kurt's apartment if you ever want to have an orgasm in your life. You'd still get punished later and it's going to be harsher than last time." Santana turns away from Rachel, "This week I'm going to leave you on the edge, like right now, and you'd have to continue your day like nothing happens and not touch yourself. That's a test Rachel, you better pass it. I expect you at Kurt, sitting next to me, in five minutes." She explains and leave the apartment.

Rachel slowly nods, then gets up, she puts her clothes back on then feels around for her glasses. _'Come on.. Come on.'_ She continues, but then hears a crack from under her knees. "Oh no.." She felt around some more, feeling glass shards and a frame. "N-No.." She frowned, then stood up._'I only have like.. 2 minutes now..'_ She starts to walk, feeling around to make sure she knows where she's at. "Of course I would get myself into a predicament.

Luckily, the people in end of the hall apartment didn't ask questions and seemed busy talking and watching something on the TV, except Dani who was busy texting. Santana took a seat in an empty sofa and waited for Rachel. Maybe she should've given the woman more time, she herself needs to cool off. She wanted Rachel so badly, she's addicted to her, but they're not the dating kind of fuck buddies; Santana is Rachel's Mistress and as one she needs to act a certain way, for both of them. If she won't be a good Mistress, then Rachel would be the one to suffer. That's why she did what she did and why she's going to make the training more intense.

Rachel bumped into the door once as she opened it. 'Okay, made it out of the apartment..' she thought to herself. 'Now to get to Kurt's.. Down the hall.. Fuck me!' she growled, closing the door behind her then stumbled down the hall, keeping one hand on the wall as she walks.

"Hey, 'Tana, where's Rachel?" Dani asks without lifting her head from the device in her hand.

Santana crosses her legs and glances at the door, "She got a call about the studio, she'd be right back."

Rachel runs her hand against each door to feel the right number,_'Kay, one more door..'_ She thought to herself as she struggled to make her way to Kurt's door step, once she feels the number to Kurt's apartment, she knocks on the door a couple times. "I need assistance, badly." She frowns.

Kurt looked up at the door, quick on his feet to go answer the door, "Rachel they are called hands, use them." He joked as he opened the door to see Rachel without her glasses, "Barbra, where are your glasses?" He asked.

Rachel frowned some more. "I.. I dropped my glasses.." She looked down at the floor, regardless of she couldn't see the ground, "I was careless.. But at least I got someone willing to work on the painting of the studio.."

Santana's head shot up in alert hearing Rachel and she stands up, "Dani, get up."

"What? Why?"

"I think we should call it a night," She walks to where Rachel is, "Burt, Kurt, thank you for having us, the food was great." Santana smiles at Burt, then looks at Dani, "Help Rachel back home, D." She looks at Rachel, "You ok, right? You have another pair or contacts?"

"No I don't, those were my only pair." Rachel explained as she felt more and more like an idiot. "I screwed up, so.." She shrugged, "And I only had the one pair of contacts, and they are expired." Rachel reaching out a bit in hopes to hold on to someone.

Kurt wrapped one of Rachel's arms over his shoulder, "Dad, I will be back in a bit." He looked at Rachel with some worry in his eyes, "Honey, it'll be okay, we'll try to get you a new pair." He assured Rachel. "Dammit Santana come get Rachel's other side." Kurt demanded while moving towards the wall with Rachel.

Santana wants to scream at him to take his hands off of Rachel, but that would tell him there is something between them, so she holds Rachel and helps her to their door. "Thank you, Lady lips." Santana says and close the door with the three girls inside. "You'll be good for tonight and tomorrow I'll go buy you new one, no arguments." Santana says to Rachel, then looks at Dani, "Say good night to Marley and go to bed, Dani. I want to see you asleep when I get back." Then she takes Rachel to her room and helps her to the bed. "I'm going to help you into your pajamas and whatever you need, ok?"

'_Am I going to get punished if I refuse your help?_' Rachel slowly nodded then sighed, "Yeah.. Okay.. Ms. Santana.." She quietly finished the last part of their agreement before laying on her bed.

* * *

**Tell us what you think :)**

**'till next time.**


	8. Chapter 8

Hey, everyone!

This chapter was supposed to be uploaded on Sunday, but we wanted to clear something up so.. You get it now! :)

**From NephewSnixx:** Hey, so for anyone who is confused - we did briefly mention Dani had a case worker, it was an error on my part for not establishing it as much as I should have.

**From me:** In the next few chapters Dani's story will be revealed in addition to how she's able to stay with Rachel and Santana and what's going to happen to her. Hopefully, you still like the story _(because we love writing it)_ and keep reading it.

* * *

One morning, a few weeks after Rachel bought the studio, Santana decides to pay her a visit. She woke up early and really wanted to see her friend and submissive. Santana and Rachel's relationship have developed quite a bit since their first session; Rachel is more disciplined and they got closer. Santana, on her side, can't get enough of Rachel and not only sexually. She never thought it can happen, but when Santana isn't with Rachel she feels like something is missing. It's been a very long time since she felt remotely close to this and it scares her. In the back of her mind, Santana knows that there is more between them than Mistress and sub; they way they touch each other, speak to each other, look at one another.. But Santana push it back into a small box in her mind, because she can't give Rachel more than what they have now. And yet, she's more affectionate towards her in and outside the bedroom. So when she feels the need to see Rachel, Santana put on some jeans and a simple black shirt with a white jacket, takes everything she needs and head out. Santana reaches the studio and get into Rachel's office. She sits in her chair with a single rose in her hand and wait for the woman to show up.

Rachel was strolling down the sidewalk; listening to music on her iPod, she had just gotten done with taking Dani to school. Right now her life couldn't get better; she had an amazing kid in Dani, she had the dance studio that she was luckily able to buy and most importantly, she had a special arrangement with Santana. Well, one thing could make her life better, but Rachel has yet to act on it, she just pushes it aside for the sake of Santana and also Dani. Rachel approached the door to her studio, unlocked it, then opened the door to the studio, turning on the lights, then she locked it behind her since she had about half an hour before her first class starts. Not knowing someone else was already in the general area, Rachel started to sing to herself as she walked towards her office. "Woah!" She jumps back at the sight of Santana in her office, Rachel places her hand on her chest then quickly pulls off her earbuds. "Wh.. What.. When.. Uh.. Hi?" She tried to speak, but the surprise was a tad too much for her.

"I'm okay, for the most part.." Rachel chuckled as well, walking to her desk, then placed her iPod on it, she then sat on the other side of the desk, "Not that I mind, but what are you doing here?

"This is for you." Santana gives Rachel the flower in her hand, "I woke up early and I mi-" She moves in her chair, not feeling comfortable admitting the real reason, "-Just thought I'd drop by.. It can get really quiet at home.." Santana is not happy with how stupid she is acting, she needs to get her grip on. So she pulls Rachel, by her shirt, to sit on her lap.

Rachel blushed a bit, "Well, thank you, it's very sweet of you to do that." She looks at Santana while biting her lip nervously, "That actually, really made my day so far."

Santana feels her face heat up; yes, that's exactly what she missed when she was alone laying in her bed. "So, when is your next class?"

"Uh.." Rachel turned back a bit to check the clock on her iPod, "About 25 minutes now.. Why?" She asked as she turned back to Santana. _'I bet anything, I know what's up..'_ Rachel blushed some more.

"Hmm.. I think you need to do some warm ups. You know, to get ready." Santana finds her favorite spot on Rachel's neck, that happens to be a soft one, and bite on it.

"Ooh.. Uh.. Mmm.." Rachel taking soft breathes as she gently moves her hips to the vibrations she was feeling from Santana's lips. "L-Look, I want this as badly as you do.. K-Kurt's supposed to be here dropping off my lunch soon.. Oh God.." Her hands grip the back of the chair as she leans towards Santana.

"Yeah, more of that 'oh God' thing, less Kurt," Santana smiles against Rachel's next, "And since I didn't hear you say your safe word, I'd might have to punish you later for speaking like that. Such shame, you've been real good lately." She detaches her lips from her second favorite place on Rachel's body and smirks, "If you don't want showing bite marks all over your neck, you should take that shirt off."

Rachel unzipped her hoodie, placing it on the floor beside them, then she pushed one strap of her singlet down her arm, followed by the other strap. She soon pushed part of the singlet down to her waist, "L-Like this Mistress?" She asks as she raises her body up a bit for Santana to get a better view of her chest.

Santana didn't come there for it, but the moment she saw Rachel, she couldn't think about anything else. "You're so gorgeous." Santana moves her lips inches away from Rachel; testing both of their self control, "Put your hand in my pants and tell me if you want me as much as I want you. And you better do it quickly, I don't think Lady lips would appreciate the view as much as I do." She whispers and her teeth go straight to the woman's chest.

Rachel moved her hips so she could get access to Santana's lower body, she unbuttoned and unzipped her mistress' pants. "I need this Ms. Santana.." Rachel whispered in Santana's ear as she moved her hand in the Latina's pants.

Santana finds a way into Racehl's pants and feel just how much Rachel needs her, "I can feel that, Rach." Her fingers just tease Rachel, "Come on, I want to feel you and if we'll have time maybe I'll let you finish." Santana order. She feels Rachel's fingers go inside and she's already so close. She pulls Rachel to her neck and the woman gets the hint and start sucking and biting her neck and jaw line; just how she knows Santana likes. "Fuck, Rach!" She moans loudly and pull hair just a bit as she gets her release. She smiles at Rachel, "You did good, dear." Her fingers flick a few times and watch Rachel collapes on her. _'I swear, this is my favorite sight..'_ Santana thinks and hugs Rachel tightly.

Rachel bites down on her lower lip, fighting off the urge to kiss Santana. "Mistress, I.. Thank you.." She held on to Santana a bit tighter, Rachel honestly didn't want to let go. Hell, she could be like this all day, and not be bored, that's how nuts Rachel was for Santana. Rachel gave Santana a gentle kiss before standing up, "Dani and I will be a little late in getting home, I have an 3:30 class of Broadway faithfuls." She explained as she pulled her singlet back on.

"Ok, thanks for telling me." Santana zips her jeans, she already misses Rachel's warmth. "How are things going here?"

"Things are great here, I might be hiring someone to do a class here and there." Rachel said while pulling her yoga shorts up, "I also might do children's classes, it's been a high demand." She happily explained.

"Look at you, running a successful business." Santana don't think she can express how much she's proud of Rachel or even would because she's so closed off, but she does what she can, "Good job!" She tells her with a big smile, while all along her brain keeps telling her to kiss Rachel. But Santana got used to it; the voice is always there, she learned to live with it.

Kurt unlocked the door with his key, he poked his head in, "Hey Barbara, I got your lunch." He said while struggling with the amount of bags he had, "The deli I usually go to ran out of the Tofu Chicken Sandwich, so I got you a salad with the fixins' on the side." He explained as he got to Rachel's office, surprised at the sight of Santana, "Uh.. Hey Satan." Kurt waved his hand gently.

"Porcelain." Santana nods her head at him. She knows it's horrible and she won't do too much to prevent it, but Santana doesn't like it so much when there is someone else there when they're together, except for Dani, of course. It's unhealthy, Santana aware of that, but she can't do anything about wanting to be with Rachel, just the two of them. "You know, I thought we're close now. Why don't you bring me lunch, too?" She fakes a pout and take her phone from the table.

"When was the last time you liked what I bought for you?" Kurt asked while placing a bag on Rachel's desk, "But since you're here, how about we have a chat. Starbucks, my treat?" He offered then looks over at Rachel. "So, when did you want to get fitted?"

"I'd have to check my schedule, but I may have this Thursday available." Rachel said as she scooted her coffee towards Santana, "Try this, it's the Starbucks Pumpkin Pie coffee." She insisted.

Santana looks at Kurt, "Yeah, I have nothing to do anyway.." She tells him and turn her attention to Rachel. Santana nods and take a sip from the coffee, "Hmm.. So good!" She smiles brightly at Rachel and gives her back the cup, brushing her finger on Rachel's palm, "Thanks." She feels the air around her getting thick and quickly grab her phone and change the subject, "What fitting?" She glance at Rachel with a raised eyebrow.

"Kurt pulled some strings and got some of the website people from Vogue to help design a web page for the studio, I am getting a floral design singlet for the site." Rachel explained as she hooked her iPod to the stereo system. "I hate being the mean one, but I only have a few minutes before my class gets here. Kurt, explain the details to Santana, and.. Well depart please?" She asked in a calm tone.

"Yeah, Yeah, kick us out.." Santana slowly gets up from the chair with a smirk on her face, "Thank you for letting me crash here." She walks to Kurt and grab his arm, "let's go, Hummel, you owe me breakfast." Santana starts to push him out.

Kurt looked over at Santana "Fine, but you're buying us coffee." He demanded in a playful tone.

Rachel shook her head and chuckled to herself, "Sometimes I love those two dorks, a tad too much." She spoke softly as she pulled her tablet from her bag, setting it on the keyboard mount and went to check that day's schedule just to make sure she was correct on everything

They're almost out of the studio when Santana stops and acts like she's looking for her phone, "Ugh, I forgot my cell in there. I'll be right back." She tells Kurt and goes back to Rachel's office. Santana opens the door and walks back in, "Missed me?" She chuckles at Rachel's face and gets closer.

"Yes, every microsecond is like an eternity." Rachel joked as she walked closer to Santana. "Forget anything?" she asked, leaning against her desk, holding herself up with her arm. "Like, to say goodbye?" she beamed sad eyes towards Santana's direction.

Santana closes the distance and push her body against Rachel's. She leans forward and intentionally, rubs her leg on Rachel's center. "Actually, I forgot my phone." She reaches her hand behind Rachel and grab it, "But you have a point, I did forget to say a proper goodbye." Santana says close to Rachel's lips, but kiss Rachel from her right cheek to her collar bone.

A smile went across Rachel's face, "Mm.." She let out a soft moan in pleasure. "How about a goodbye kiss, Mistress.. It would help me get through the day." Rachel calmly begged. "I-I would love feeling your wonderful lady lips mashed against mine again." She bit her lip a bit.

Santana lift her head and look at Rachel's lips, "You've been so good and in less than an hour you got yourself a punishment. You really want another one?"

Rachel shook her head, then looked down, "My apologies, Mistress.." Her heart honestly sank after hearing that, but she didn't let it show too much. "I'll be good.." She nodded slowly._ 'All over wanting a kiss? The hell?'_ Rachel lightly pursed her lips.

_'Fuck these stupid rules!'_ Santana put her finger on Rachel's chin and lifts it up and crush her lips on Rachel's. She holds Rachel's bottom lip with her lip and suck it for a few seconds, then move away from Rachel. "This one is on me." She winks at, the obviously flushed, woman. "Don't work too hard, Rach. Later." Santana turns around and walks out with her hips swaying more than the usual.

Rachel stood still, face warm and lips tingling from Santana pretty much rocking her world in mere seconds. "I.. I think I'm at my office.." She looked around remembering where in God's name she was at, "Yup, regretfully in my office." She plopped onto her seat and waited for her class.

* * *

Santana and Kurt walked a bit in the nice cold weather until they reached a small diner. They entered, took a seat and order food and coffee. Santana feels kind of weird; she knows Kurt for about 10 years, he helped her recover from one of the hardest things in her life, yet it feels just a little awkward. She sits in quiet, waiting for their food to arrive.

_'Try not to overdo it..'_ Kurt keeps his eyes on Santana, questions gathering at the tip of the tongue, but all of them would have blown his cover on trying to get his two besties together. "So, seeing family this Thanksgiving? Baine and I are going back to Lima, ourselves." He mentioned, he figured this would ease into Santana talking about Rachel.

"W-We haven't figured that out, yet." The holiday season is hard on Santana since her dad died. It got easier with time, but she still miss him terribly; that's why she tries to avoid going back to Lima. But now, that they have Dani, it might change. "Rachel doesn't celebrate and I haven't seen my mom in a long time.. I'll have to talk to Rachel about it.. I'm sure Dani would love to travel, though; see where all the stories we told her took place." Santana smiles widely.

"Tell you what." Kurt said as the waiter brings by their coffee, he picks his up and takes a quick sip, "Gah! Hot.. Uh.. Let me know by like.. Next Wednesday, what your plans are. We can get a family train ticket from here to Cleveland as part of a Thanksgiving special, for like $250, which is a _huge_ bargain considering they normally go for $75 per person, and we get our on personal booth, so even a bigger jackpot than before." He explains while grabbing a couple packets of sugar.

"Well, that's something to consider._ It is_ a great deal.. I'll talk to Rachel and my mom and get back to you." Santana replays and cautiously take a sip from her coffee. "God, I'm so hungry, what's taking them so long?!" She looks to the side to try and spot their waiter.

_'I got a perfect question, Santana will have to answer this one.. Sorry Dani.'_ Kurt leaned against his seat "Dani asked me an interesting question.." He admitted, then rested his hands on the table, lightly tapping it with his thumbs. "She asked me, that if Rachel found someone to be with, if that would no longer make you her Mama." He pointed out. "I couldn't for the life of me answer, because she's too sweet to wanna put through that kind of anguish."

Santana almost dropped her cup hearing Kurt's question, "She asked you that?!" Kurt only nods and drinks his coffee. So many emotions go through Santana's body; fear, confusion, jealousy, hurt. _'I thought she wanted us together.. Where did that question come from?!'_ Santana clenches her jaw while her mind almost loses it,_ 'Rachel is mine!_ She grits her teeth, but force herself to calm down. That question is too complicated and raise issues she don't want to deal with. "Well, Rachel took her in, she's her mom from the second she saw Dani." Santana starts to answer, moving uncomfortably in her chair, "I will still be in her life, though.. As whatever she wants me." She looks down at the table.

"Imagine the hurt in her eyes when she asked me that, my heart almost went kaput." He frowned a bit as he took another sip of his coffee. _'Yeah, Dani was right.. There's something going on between them.. I have a gut feeling I know what it is too.'_ Kurt thought to himself while he set his cup down. "Why are you looking at the table? I am positive Dani wouldn't see you as anything but her parent." He assured.

She feels her eyes filling with tears, but the last thing she wants right now is to cry. The answer to Kurt's question would show him everything thing she feels, so Santana can't tell him she can't think of anyone with Rachel or the three of them not living together or Rachel starting a family with someone and take Dani with her. Those fears are something she struggles every day not to deal with. Cause dealing with them mean dealing with her feelings for Rachel.. "It's none of your business, Lady face." Santana glare and Kurt and starts eating the food that was served to them while she was having an inner melt down.

Kurt sighs to himself, "I was just thinking about your kid's best interests. That's all." He kept his eyes on his plate "I really hope this is organic bacon.." He mumbled as he took a bite of his bacon. "It's not.. Oh well."

Santana sighs, "You said it yourself, she's my kid. So I'm not going anywhere." She states with confident. "Maybe you and Blaine should have a child and leave mine alone?" Santana smirks at Kurt and goes back to her food.

Kurt smirked back, "Maybe you should get a wedding ring on your finger and stop being jealous of mine?" He returned the sarcastic tone of voice. "And also stop letting her use the keys we gave to you and Rachel to let herself in late at night, I am a light sleeper, and she isn't _that_ quiet when she sneaks."

The Latina chokes on her food, quickly grabs the orange juice and drink half of it. She kicks Kurt under the table and point her fork at him, "I'm a free spirit, I'm not gonna settle down just because I have a kid now." He eyebrow slowly raising, "And let her be, it's not like you and that walking gel commercial of yours ever do anything inappropriate." Santana says playfully.

"Uh.." Kurt blushes a lot more than he ever thought he would around Santana. "Y-Yeah.." he took Santana's orange juice and downed the rest of it.

"What do you mean 'yeah'?!" She tilts her head, "You need to have sex. It's important and besides, you're young! Don't let the spark die." Santana says seriously, shocking herself a little that she cares so much about that part of her other best friend's life.

"It's not _that _kind of yeah.. It's a more of the kind of yeah that leads in to the phrase "about that" and then you laugh at me." Kurt explained as he tries to lower himself past the table. "She kinda.. Walked in on us.."

"She what?!" Santana shouts, "Are you fucking kidding me?! Now I need to send her to therapy!" She glares at Kurt, "Why didn't you tell us that? You scarred her for life, I'll send you the bill for the shrink." If it was anyone else, Santana would've been on the floor, laughing, but it was her 14-years-old kid. The same one, that she plans, won't have sex ever, or at least until she's thirty.

"Oh yeah, she was so scared that she asked if she could make popcorn and watch." Kurt poked Santana's nose gently, "Blaine and I were more scared than she was, she was the one telling us to calm down."

"I can't with this kid.." Santana shakes her head and giggles, "I think we should lock her in Rachel's room with how good things going with Marley." Santana says and shiver slightly with that thought and the one about Dani catching Rachel and her.

"Speaking of those two, how are things with them?" Kurt asked before finishing his eggs. "I asked Dani but she yelled at me saying "We aren't dating, gosh!" even though I never asked that." he dabbed a napkin over his face.

"Speaking of those two, how are things with them?" Kurt asked before finishing his eggs. "I asked Dani but she yelled at me saying 'We aren't dating, gosh!' even though I never asked that." He dabbed a napkin over his face.

Santana laugh and clean her mouth with a napkin, "They spend a lot of time together, I think it won't take too long for things to move forward." She leans back and smiles at the thought of happy Dani is.

* * *

The school day is over, but Dani stays behind a little longer; Rachel told her she'd be a bit late today because she has an extra class to teach at the studio. So the pink haired girl walks around the halls, just looking around, until she finds herself in the auditorium. The place that usually packed with theater or choir students, is now the quietest place in school. Dani goes in and looks at the set for the upcoming school play. She's bored and a structure catches her eye. Dani smiles and run towards it, climbing on it. Her legs hold her upside down as she swings her body, feeling like her favorite superhero - Spider man.

Little to Dani's knowledge, Marley also stayed behind longer today, from time to time she would stay at the school to get extra practice in for any plays, performances, pretty much anything she needed to get done. But this day felt different to the young brunette, she's been feeling like she's holding back a certain emotion. That's something she needed to touch base on, and what better place to do that, than the auditorium? Marley poked her head past the door of the big room, seeing that Dani was already in there. _'Oh my.. That's so cute! Wait, what?'_ She blushed at the thought as she quickly, and quietly walked to the front row then sat down to observe her friend.

Stretching on the structures, jumps from one to another and just hang is something Dani hadn't done in a long time, but it's like riding a bike for her. Years of gymnastics as a child and even though she was out of practice, her body still remember and feel at home. With that and her developed imagination, Dani acts like it's a scene from Spider man and actually cobweb coming out of her wrist.

Marley bit down on her lower lip, seeing how flexible Dani was sent chills up the brunette's spine. _'O-Okay..'_ She gulped as her face became flush. She stood up and slowly made her way to the stage, observing Dani a bit more closely. "H-Hey." She calmly called out.

Dani, who was hanging down with her legs holding her body, almost fell when she heard the familiar voice. Thanks to her quick reflexes, Dani shoots her hand up to catch the bar that holds her body and stop herself from falling. "M-Marley? For how long you've been standing there?" A blush spreads to her cheeks and ears.

"I was watching you for a few minutes.. I didn't know you were so.. Well, flexible." Marley lightly scratched her arm. "I originally came here because I needed to think about something.. But it's nice that you're here, it'll help me out quite a bit." she explained with a smile on her face.

"I used to do gymnastics and when I saw these bars, I couldn't help myself." Dani swings her body and sits on the bar. It's kind of tall, so she has to look down at Marley, "So how can I help?" The smile never leave her face; that's how it is when she's with the other girl or even just thinking about her. It's her Marley smile.

"I remember you and Santana talking a bit about Rachel's weight one time when I came over.." Marley leaned against the structure. "When I was in middle school, it was my last year there.. My mom was the lunch lady there, and I used to get bullied because my mom.. She's sorta on the heavier side, but I don't see that when I think about her. Uh.. But yeah I got bullied pretty bad, and I was made to believe I was overweight myself.." she explains while looking at the floor. "I ended up being 60 pounds by Christmas that year.."

Dani gaps and her body fill with sadness. She climbs down to be on Marley's height and take the girl's hand in hers. "I'm so sorry, Marles. You'e so awesome, those people are just a buch of idiots!" Dani gets angry, but she's more concered about her friend and the girl she likes, "How are you now? If you don't mind me asking.."

"I am more than fine." Marley nods twice. "When I was at the hospital, my mom was working.. Elliot came by with a bag of fattening foods, and told me that I was going to eat that with him or he was going to kick me in the ass." She chuckled softly, "But it helped me, I mean I was more than full after one of the meals he got for me, but eventually I got to the average weight once again." Marley gazed at Dani for a few moments. "That's why Elliot buys me lunch every day.. To make sure I eat."

"You're lucky you've found each other and.. I'm happy you're healthy now." Dani pulls Marley to a tight hug. She makes a mental note to make sure it'd stay like that and let go of her friend, "Now that you told me something personal.. I guess I can return the favor." She takes a deep breath to relax her nerves, "I used to.. Live on the s-streets u-until Rachel brought me home and gave me a family. I lived there for months.." Dani says and wait for Marley reaction, hopping she's right and she won't lose her closest friend.

"W-Why did you live on the streets?" Marley asked in a worried tone.

Dani feels nausea and her hands sweat, "My parents, they found out.. That I'm gay." She don't dare to look at Marley, "They threw me out and told me to never come back.."

"I.. What.. They.." Marley trying to come up with words to react to being told what she was told. "That's fucked up.." She let out, biting her lower lip into a frown. "Dani, that's.. I am so sorry.." She wanted to console Dani a bit, but she didn't know how to go about doing so. "Screw them, they missed out on an amazing gift to this planet.. You."

Dani lifts her head and smile at Marley, feeling more comfortable to share some more of her story, "Thanks." She says shyly, "I believe it was for the best; when I was the perfect little girl they wanted, things were good, but when they saw something they didn't like.." She exhale heavily and decides to skip that part, "I had nowhere to go or any money. I saw some horrible things and people tried to get me into some bad shit, but I did everything I could to stay away from it all. I found places that was relatively clean and always kept my eyes open. Until Rachel saved me." Dani plays with the hem of her shirt, her body shakes, "Are.. Are we still ok?" She bites her lip, looking at Marley with eyes full of fear and hope.

"Of course we are, dummy." Marley gave Dani a gentle shove. "More than okay." She smiled at Dani for a few moments.

Dani grin, her whole face lighting up. She climb just bit up, turns her back to Marley and goes back to her previous position; letting the blood go to her head and her muscles stretch. She giggles, "Maybe the school can do a spider man play. I can totally play him, right?"

Marley smirked "You'd do it more justice than that one guy.. All he was good at was filling the nerdy role." She pointed out while walking towards Dani, "That and a nice tasteful kiss with Kirsten Dunst."

"Pff.. I can pull it off much better than him." Dani let go of her hands and fold them against her chest.

"Oh really?" Marley asked, moving to her friend. "Prove it." she demanded, intentionally moving her head towards Dani's.

Dani raises her eyebrow. Her heart throbs fast in her chest and she feels like her blood boils, but at the same time, she wants to show Marley and.. And she wants to kiss the girl. She reach to hold the bar, because she's sure that when Marley's lips will touch her she might fall.

Marley gently cupped Dani's head, mushing her lips against Dani's. She lightly sucks on Dani's upper lip due to her being upside down.

_'Oh my God, her lips.. They're so soft and she tastes so sweet..'_ Dani thinks when she feels Marley lips on her, _'Kiss back, yeah, I need to kiss her back!'_ Dani closes her eyes and starts to kiss Marley back, sucking her bottom lip, and feeling like her body is on fire.

_'This..'_ Marley thought in her head as she pushes her tongue in Dani's mouth, giving a soft moan into the kiss.

_'Was that.. Oh my.. This is the best moment in my life.'_ Dani moans and gently rubs her tongue against Marley's, then lick her lips and try to deepen the kiss.

Rachel slowly walked in, and jumped a bit at the sight of Dani and Marley kissing, she covered her mouth, hiding a smile._ 'Good for you!.. But something tells me I should stop this though..'_ Rachel thought in her head as she slowly walked towards the two young girl. "Oh my!" Rachel speaks in her George Tekai like voice.

Dani, startled by the sudden voice, lose her grip on the bar and fall down. Luckily, she lands on her toes and hands, just like a cat. She looks up and see Rachel, her blush comes back to her face, "Mom.."

Marley moved back a bit at the sight of Rachel, "M-Miss Rachel, I am so sorry.. I.." She gulped nervously.

Rachel waved her hand "I am just happy it was.. Mom?" She looked at Dani with a raised eyebrow, "Did.. You just call me mom?" Rachel asked, feeling more surprised about what Dani said rather than the kiss.

Dani gets up and quickly stands besides Marley, "Hm.. It was.. It's just slipped. I'm sorry." She answers and feels embarrassed.

Rachel shook her head "Uhm.. Look I don't mind if you two date, but remember that you both are young women, so don't do anything stupid that ends up with either one of you getting hurt. Understand?" she crossed her arms, keeping her gaze on the two girls before her.

_'D-Dating? I.. I actually wouldn't mind that..'_ Marley looks over at Dani, reaches out for her hand. "W-Want to? You know.. Be a thing?" She asked before biting her lip.

Dani smiles and show her dimples, but it's so wide it hurts the muscles in her face, "Yeah, if you want." Dani says, looking at Marley's blue eyes.

Marley slowly nodded, then gave Dani one quick kiss on the lips before letting go of her hand. "T-Thank you." She gulped nervously.

Rachel couldn't help but calmly smile at the two, "Okay, you two love birds, I gotta take Spider-Girl over here home before Santana goes all Venom on us for being late." Rachel signaled Dani to go to her.

Marley gave a nod towards Rachel then looked back at Dani, "Call me later?" She asked, looked up for a few moments, then back at Dani again, "Girlfriend?" Marley winked.

"Sure thing, girlfriend." Dani winks back. She doesn't want to leave, but has to, so she follows Rachel out. But she already knows what will be the first thing she'll do when she'll get home, call Marley and text Elliot.

* * *

Rachel and Dani made it home after a half hour of talking about the new ground rules of having Marley visit, Dani was a bit reluctant on agreeing, but she was more than happy that Rachel approved of her newfound relationship. Rachel had some plans for later on that she needed to tend to, but was more scared about Santana being mad, she honestly didn't want to put Santana through any pain, knowing so much about her life, she just knows in the back of her head that Santana would hate the idea of Rachel hanging out with someone that Santana doesn't know of.

Santana was just getting home and all she wants is to see the girls and have a warm bath. After her breakfast with Kurt, she was called to the club, but not for a session; her boss wanted her to do some administrative work for some reason. She didn't care too much, it was extra money, but now she's needs to rest. Santana opens the door and place her key in its usual place. She goes, grab a beer and smiles.

Rachel's head shot up at the sight of Santana walking in, "Welcome home." She greeted as she stood up from the kitchen chair. "How were things?" Rachel asked, walking up to Santana to give her a quick hug.

Taking in Rachel's smell, makes Santana feels good right away, "Different, good different." She looks at the couch and don't see Dani, "The kid is in your room? How is she?" She takes a sip from her drink and still hold Rachel close to her.

Rachel chuckles. "Let's just say, she's not going to be losing her smile anytime soon." She joked as she moved some hair back behind her ear, "I'll give you the details later, I actually wanted to ask you something."

"Hm.. Interesting." She really wants to see Dani, but at the same time don't want to let go of Rachel, "Yeah, what's up? And how was your day, sorry, I didn't ask."

"My day was good, and it was a special day.. I instructed my 50th class, I know it's not a big deal since I get multiple ones throughout the day, but I thought it was awesome I powered through it.." Rachel smiled at her roommate. "Speaking of that.. One of the teachers I work with, offered to take me out for a couple drinks, to celebrate of course.. Would you care if I went out? I wouldn't be late, I promise."

Santana's hold on Rachel tightens and her body tense up, "One of the teacher asked you out?" She gulp, trying to keep her temper.

"Y-Yeah.. But nothing big, just a couple of drinks and that's the extent of it." Rachel placed her hands on Santana's shoulders, "I wouldn't lie to you.. You trust me, right?"

Santana star right in Rachel's brown eyes; she doesn't feel comfortable with the idea Rachel going out with someone. Not at all. They're not dating, but Rachel is hers. "You, I trust. Anyone else, not at all." She pulls away from Rachel, "I don't like it." It sounds too much like a date and Santana can let it happen.

Rachel frowned a bit as she could tell her roommate was hurt by the thought, Rachel grabbed Santana's hands gently then placed a soft kiss on Santana's jaw. "If you want me to cancel, I will. But you're worried for all the wrong reasons, this other teacher has a ring on her finger, and she's straight. So it's just a friendly get together, only friendly.. Not the sex kind of friendly."

Rachel's lips burned her skin, but now isn't the right time for it. Santana thinks about what Rachel just said; it's not like she didn't sleep with straight girls in the past, even some married once.. But Santana can tell Rachel really wants to go and she needs to have some fun outside the 'family' circle. She sighs, "Why can't other teachers join you?" Santana asks and pull Rachel to her again.

"Because the only other teacher is Elliot? And as much as I know he'd love it, I don't think I should take him out for adult beverages." The brunette calmly explained, she then pressed a bit closer to Santana. "You really do not want me to go, do you?" She asked while looking into Santana's eyes.

Santana giggles and press her forehead on Rachel's, "No, you can go, Rach." She says after a few moments of silence, "Just don't drink too much and remember who you belong to." Santana tells Rachel and smile. She can't prevent Rachel for having fun just because she has issues; it's not fair and it'd make her a bad friend and a bad Mistress. Santana is confidant Rachel knows how to behave and will always tell her the truth, so there shouldn't be a problem with her going out without Santana. The Latina would just have to find something to pass the time and not obsess with her thoughts.

Rachel ran her hands against Santana's arms, nodding at the requests she made for the diva. "Okay.." she returned the smile, then moved back a bit. "Well.. I'm gonna go take a shower.." Rachel announced before she turns, then walks to her room.

Santana finish her beer and finds some leftovers, because she's starving. She puts it in the microwave and pulls out her phone, to text Rachel. Yes, she's in the next room, but Santana doesn't think it'd be a good idea for her to go in there, especially with Dani there.  
**To Rach:** **_'Don't show off too much skin. She might be straight, but you're so hot, so she might not be for one night when she sees you.' _**Santana places the phone on the table and get her plate out. She grabs another beer and sits to eat, pushing her insecurities aside.

Rachel finished her shower after a little while, and once she dried off she pulled on a pair of jeans, a red shirt with white sleeves, then she put her glasses on. "Okay.." She softly spoke as she left her bathroom, seeing that Dani was still on her phone. "Honey, how do I look?" She asked somewhat nervously.

Dani looked up from her phone, smiling at Rachel's appearance. "What's the occasion?" She asked.

"I am going out for some drinks with a friend, to celebrate 50 classes being taught." Rachel felt silly explaining it, but from Rachel's point of view; it was a really big milestone, willing working 50 classes without her Broadway ego getting in the way. This was a good thing for her.

"Oh.." Dani bit her lower lip. "Be good I guess." She laid on Rachel's bed, gazing at the ceiling.

Rachel shrugged off the comment and left the room. "Let's see.. It's not til 7:30 so.. I got a bit of time.." She said to herself.

Santana finish eating and wash up her dishes. Then she walks to Rachel's room, "Hey, D. What's up?" She smiles at Dani and shoot a glance at Rachel as she walks to Rachel's bed and sits next to the young girl.

"Nothing much, just chatting up Elliot about the winter dance." Dani answered as she moved herself, resting her head on Santana's lap, "Rachel is going out tonight.." She furrowed her eyebrows. "Is it the same kind of going out that Kurt and Blaine do?"

Rachel listened in as she grabbed her keys, now regretting her decision to go out, but it'd be rude to no show after already saying yes to hanging out. She grew up since high school, and has a high moral value towards keeping her word. The second she leaves the apartment, waves upon waves of guilt travel her way.

Back in Rachel room, Santana plays with Dani's hair while gritting her teeth in order to cool down. "No, it's just something with a friend. Like Kurt and her do some times." The older woman thinks it's better, for the both of them, if she'd change the subject, "So.. You have a date for the dance?"

Dani blushed quite a lot. "Yes.. Probably the best date on earth.." She confessed happily, "She has brown hair, blue eyes, and she has a gentle touch." Dani hugged her phone to her chest, nearly being lost in her happy thoughts.

"Gentle touch?! Young lady, what are trying to tell me here?" Santana push Dani's shoulder so she could look at her, "Should I take out the doors in this house?" She says half joking, but also, half serious.

"I mean she's really nice, like.. The sweetest girl in the world." Dani scratched the back of her head. "I just like her a lot.." She looked to the side.

"Oh, baby, that's great! I'm really happy for you." Santana kiss Dani's forehead, "And by the look of it, I believe she likes you a lot as well."

"We reenacted a kiss scene from Spider-Man one; she dared me to do it better, and I'd like to think I did." Dani's face lit up like crazy, the fact she let so much out; and to Santana of all people.

"That sickly romantic.." Santana says and smiles at Dani, "You like her for a while now, so I'm glad she feels the same. So, are you dating now?"

"Yes.." Dani shyly admitted. "I swear I'm glad I went to you for advice, it helped me out." She wrapped her arms around Santana's waist as tight as she could, "You're the best."

Santana doesn't think she's ever been that happy in her life. She; the girl who slept with almost every guy in her school, got her heart broke, put walls and slept around.. She has a kid that now, thanks to her advice, is happy and have a relationship. She thought she started to feel more like a mother to Dani, but now she get's what Rachel felt from the get go. "I love you, D. And I know I look crazy to you with how protective I am, but you can always come to me." Santana tells Dani and hugs her back. This time, she doesn't freaks about saying those words to the kid.

Dani smiled as she sat on her knees. "I love you too 'Tana." She was happy to say that almost freely to Santana, but now she wanted to test the waters, so to speak, "Guess what?"

"What?" Santana looks suspiciously at the girl. After what Kurt her this morning, she's not so sure what she's getting into now.

Dani playfully pounced Santana, pinning her down. "Roar, I'm a lion!" she looked down at the Latina, then laid down on her; Dani's head resting upon Santana's shoulder.

"What the hell?" Santana starts laughing and hug Dani, "A lion? More like a cub, sweetie." She tickles her side.

* * *

Rachel is sitting at her table waiting for her friend to show up, she feels her phone vibrate. "What the.." she looked at her phone, it was Santana wanting to know how things were, she looked around the bar feeling less happy as time went on. "Where is she.." Rachel softly asked herself.

Back home, Santana moved Dani from on top of her and covered her with the blankets. She got up from the door, left the room and closed the door behind her. The short time with Dani helped with her thoughts, but now they came back. Santana goes to her room, while texting Rachel; she just needs to know what's going on. In her room, Santana takes her laptop in hope to catch up on some of her shows that she missed.

_'She fucking ditched me..'_ Rachel gave out a big sigh as she looks at her phone, she takes it upon herself to return the texts in a playful manner since that was going to be the closest thing she's getting to spending time with someone for this special thing.

Santana got under the covers, found a nice position and played the few last episodes of 'Grey's Anatomy'. She was really into it, until she got a text from Rachel telling her she's having fun and there's a line of people trying to win her attention. Her heart breaks the second she reads it and she's not sure if she's hurt because she's sad or angry. But she told Rachel she trusts her, so she better try and act normal.  
**To Rach:_ 'Oh yeah? What did you say? You think they can make you scream like I do?'_ **When she's done typing, Santana put the phone next to her and press play.

Rachel was walking towards the outside of the club when a couple people bump into her, drinks going into her shirt. "Oh my god.." Dhe was trying to keep her cool about the situation, once again she feels her phone vibrate. Rachel looks at her phone, then glares at the rest of the club.  
**To San:_ 'Oh no, they make me scream in other ways..'_** She hit send then walks out the club; then heads down the sidewalk.

Pressing pause again, Santana grabs her phone and reads Rachel's text, then frowns.  
**To Rach:_ 'So no sexting for us in the future.. What's wrong? Did someone hurt you?!'_** She wasn't sure what Rachel meant and she's already feeling like shit. And again, she presses play.

**To San:_ 'I wouldn't worry so much about it, let's just say I am spent.'_**Rachel took a turn as she made it back to their apartment. Before she went into the building she leaned against the wall beside the door, slid down and hugged her knees.

**To Rach:_ 'Just come home. There is a cub that can use her mom to to protect her while she sleep.'_**Santana sends the text and goes back the episode; thinking about Rachel hurt her and bring to surface everything she's repressing.

_'Just my luck..'_ Rachel got up, walked into the building, went up the stairs, unlocked; then opened the door. She sighed as she walked inside, closing and locking the door behind her, after she tossed her bag onto the coוuch she slowly, quietly walked to Santana's room, knocking on the door. The Latina is about to give up on watching anything tonight. She pause it again and tells Rachel to come in; bracing herself for what she's going to feel.

Rachel walked in, seeing Santana covered up. She gave a light nod, then crawled onto Santana's bed, laying beside her as she just gazes into the ceiling, "I get the feeling I'm too old to be trying to get any new friends.."

"You know you just called all of us old, right?" Santana looks at Rachel, "And you're not, most people not as awesome as us. Wanna tell me what happened?" She tries asking.

"Oh, I got ditched.. Kinda like what used to happen in high school." She turned a bit to look at Santana. "I should have stayed with you and Dani.. I think it's time I need to settle on going out to places, I have my own family after all."

"It doesn't mean you don't need your own time. If you won't be happy, it'd affect Dani. A mother needs to fulfil herself, for herself and for the kids. Plus, it's something you'd want to pass on to her." Santana says to Rachel in the most sincere voice she can come up with and caress her cheek, but return it back to her lap quickly.

"Thing is, the second I left.. I was regretting it, because it wasn't something with my family.. I can't have fun without someone I care for, around. Otherwise, I'd feel incomplete.. Is that weird?" Rachel moved closer to Santana, propping her head on the Latina's arm.

"No.. If it's enough for you." Santana play with Rachel's hair like she did with Dani earlier, "and I don't think D would mind more time with you." She's relieved to hear that that's how the other woman feels, cause she's not sure she could go more nights feeling like that.

"I have a bit of a confession to make.." Rachel looked up at Santana, right there she could take this moment to kiss her mistress, in many different ways, but she didn't need a mistress at this point, she just needed Santana Lopez, her best friend and roommate, "I.. I missed you so much, and I didn't think I could make it back without breaking down about how much I needed you."

"Rachel.." Santana scoots a little from Rachel and flips her laptop back up, "Don't."

Rachel sighed and nodded. "Yes.." She turned her body, facing the wall, "Uh.. I am gonna go check on Dani, then I may sleep out in the living room." She got out of bed, then walked away from Santana's bed.

"Don't do that. Come back to bed." Santana looks at Rachel, "Please?" Her eyes back on the screen, "I may have something for you."

A tear drips down her face as she places her hand on the door frame, "Y-Yes mistress.." She rubbed her eyes, then turned to Santana with a smile creasing her face. She walked back to the bed, climbing on it and leaned on the bed rest.

"Not tonight, Rach." She wants to be close to Rachel, to hold her in her arms and feel safe that she won't leave her. But she can't give Rachel what she wants, even when it hurts them both; the future pain could be much worse. "Open the drawer. I wanted to wait for the holidays, but I'll just get you something else.."

Rachel stood up, walked to the drawer, opened the top drawer and saw a box that had Rachel's name on it, she picked it up, then opened up the box to see two pairs of glasses inside. "S-San.." Rachel covered her mouth to contain her excitement, "N-Now I can stop wearing this broken pair." She said as she took the box over to Santana. "Help me change the pair of shades?" she asked.

"Anything you want." Santana set her computer on the nightstand and helps Rachel._ 'She's so perfect..'_ Rachel is so close to her that her eyes just linger. "You look good, Rach." Santana smiles, "You like it?" Santana puts some distance between them when she feels her emotions might get out of hand.

"How did you know what kind of lens I needed?" Rachel asks as she unzips her hoodie. "Also, can I hang my hoodie on your coat rack?" she asked while taking the said hoodie off.

"That's how good I am." Santana winks at Rachel, "Sure you.. Rachel! Is that beer on your shirt?" She sets up and puts her hands on Rachel's shirt.

"Yeah, there was this couple that bumped into me, and with my luck.. Well, that's what you see.." Rachel explained as she looked down at Santana. "There's more alcohol on my shirt than in my system." She pointed out.

"You can't sleep like that.. Take something from my closet." Santana pulls the shirt up and off of Rachel's body. She licks her lips, but doesn't do anything more, "C-Can we talk tomorrow about where we are going to spend the holidays?" She asks Rachel mainly to distract herself

Rachel blushed the second her shirt got removed, but she was quick to look for a different top to wear. "Did, uh.. Did Kurt tell you about that ticket thing?" she asked while still trying to look for a top.

"Yeah, it sounds like a good deal and we haven't visited home for a while.." Santana answers Rachel, her eyes following her every move.

"Let's do it, I know my dads will adore Dani, and maybe we can show her the ol' high school.. Assuming that it's still around." Rachel stopped looking, pulled out a black tank top, put it on, then looked at Santana. "Does it look too tight around my waist?" She asked while rubbing her stomach.

"No, it's perfect." Santana pats the space next to her and wait for Rachel to climb back up, "It can be nice. I'll just have to talk to my mom and ask her about it." Santana gets a little shy, "I know you don't celebrate, but maybe you could join us for dinners and all that.. Dani will need her mom there." She points out, not to sound too desperate.

"I know Dani needs her mother, and I plan on shutting up about my moral standards of turkey murder." Rachel assured as she crawled on the bed. "Plus, I'm a sucker for pumpkin pie, and Papa Leroy makes the best pumpkin pie in Ohio." she says with a lot of confidence. "Well, second best to me." Rachel joked.

Santana face fell; she's glad Rachel excited about it, but that's not exactly the answer she was hopping to hear. "Yeah, it would be great. We'll just have to ask everyone who's involved, including Dani; maybe she'd want to stay here and do something with Marley."

"Maybe.." Rachel rested her head on her hands. "It might sound insane, but why don't we see of Millie and the kids are doing anything for this Thanksgiving, if not we could invite that gang to join us." She suggested as she looked over at Santana. "It would benefit Dani, since she would want to spend as much time with Marley.. Also, it would benefit Marley and Elliot for them to visit a new place."

"That's nice. My mom has lots of spare rooms, especially after Leo joined the army and I moved here. I'm sure she won't my the company." All that talk about the holidays and family makes Santana realizes how much she miss her mother and brother. She makes sure to talk to her mom a couple of times during the week and text her, but with her brother it's almost impossible.

"Tomorrow I will call Millie and see what her and the kids are up to." Rachel yawned. "God. I'm tired.." She curled up against Santana. "Hey Santana, can you believe how much sodas are at the clubs here? $5 for one small glass. But the alcohol is cheaper for some ungodly reason."

"Yeah, they want people to get drunk.." Santana gently moves her hand on Rachel's body, "Let's just go to sleep."

"Okay.. Good night, Santana." Rachel slowly closed her eyes, placing her arm over Santana's waist. _'So many words I want to say..'_

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**Please tell us what you think :)**

**We're going to try updating to story based on a schedule; new chapter every Sunday and Thursday.**

**'till next time.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Co-writing with Nephewsnixx.**

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Over the next couple days, Rachel and Dani vaguely talked about going to Lima to spend Thanksgiving with the family. Dani is very reluctant to go, she's never been so far away from home, and she wanted to be as close to Marley as she could. Thankfully, Rachel had called up Millie and she agreed to let Marley go with them since her family isn't celebrating the holidays. Millie and Elliot wanted to go, but they work together at a restaurant daily, and Thanksgiving was going to be a busy day for them.

Rachel had made breakfast for Dani; she went a bit all out because she was in a better mood than usual. There was a banquet of breakfast foods for Dani, and Santana. "So Dani, you excited to be spending Thanksgiving with our family?" She asked.

Dani shrugged as she took a bite of her eggs. "I wish I could spend time with Marley as well, but I get why she can't tag along." The young girl sighed.

"I'm sorry honey." Rachel tilted her head and furrowed her eyebrows. _'Oh Dani, I hate lying to you, but you're going to love that I lied.'_ She thought in her head as she walked to the table, sitting at the other end of Dani. Rachel had Santana and Marley keep this a secret from Dani, they figured it be better for Dani in a weird sense.

Santana is standing outside her building for around ten minutes. She finished work more than an hour ago, but took her time to get back. Things at work were weird lately, now she knows why and she has no idea how to react to it. Santana knows that the girls hadn't left yet and she doesn't want to get home looking like someone killed her puppy. They've been doing great; talking, laughing, not fighting and Santana doesn't want to make them worried and ruin their morning. But it's cold outside and she doesn't have much on to warm her. Santana sighs and goes home. She opens the door, seeing the girls eating a pretty large breakfast and talking, _'Such a beautiful sight..'_ She places her keys on the counter, gives Dani a kiss and a hug, "Morning, girls. Have a great day." She brushes her hand on Rachel's back, "I'll be in my room." Her voice lacks any emotion, she's just has a lot on her mind.

Rachel stood up, "I am gonna go see if Santana wants any breakfast, then we'll get going." She gave a light nod towards Dani as she walked out of the kitchen, and then went down the hall to Santana's room. "San, can I come in real quick?" Rachel asked.

On the other side of the door, Santana is just standing in the middle of her room and stares at the space with a blank expression on her face. "Yeah, yeah." She tells Rachel and turn to face the door.

Rachel walked in with a smile on her face. "Hey, do you want me to make you a plate?" She asked while walking towards her roommate. "Also, are you okay?"

It's like her body warmed up and starts to function again, hearing that Rachel care and see her with that smile. Santana holds herself in place; she's so obsessed with Rachel's skin and how the woman smells that she always finds herself pressed against her. But Santana doesn't want to come across as needy or hurt Rachel somehow, even though she does need her. "I'll eat later, thanks." Santana gives Rachel a half smile, "Just.. Something happened at work.. I don't know."

"What happened?" Rachel sat at the edge of the bed, gently grazing the Latina's leg. "When was the last time you had a decent massage? Your leg feels like it's been in a warzone." She asked and pointed out.

Santana gulp,_'One touch and my whole body is on fire.'_ She scratches her neck and looks around to find something to distract her, "It was really tense at work and I tried to get everything out in a session, but it only made me feel worse." She says, shocked that she actually being open with Rachel. It feels good.

Rachel looked at Santana, "I can take today off, you shouldn't be alone all day." She stood up, moving over by Santana's upper body. _'I don't know why I feel jealous.. No reason behind it.'_ She gulped.

"I have a decision to make and I just don't know what to do.." And she's starting to forget what got her so unbalanced, all she can think of is spending the day with Rachel, "Stay with me?"

"Okay, no problem." The brunette smiled a bit, "You focus on getting better, and I'll be an hour." Rachel turned to walk out of the room. "Want me to bring back anything?"

"Just hurry back." Santana throws herself on the bed, staring at the ceiling.

Rachel waved back at Santana as she quickly left the room, she made it over to the kitchen, picking up her bag in the process. "Dani, finish up then let's go." For some reason Rachel was rather energetic, and in a really good mood.

Dani looked up at Rachel with a raised brow, _'Did her and Santana do_ 'the good thing' _in that short amount of time?'_ She thought to herself as she got up from the chair. "So, what's up with Santana?" She asked.

"Things at work are stressing her out." Rachel explained while putting Dani's plate in the sink. "But things will be fine eventually, Santana is a strong woman after all."

"Yeah.." Dani nodded in agreement as she picked up her backpack, then started walking on her own. "C'mon Rachel."

In her room, Santana keeps staring at her ceiling and waiting for Rachel to come back. With everything that happened and what she's feeling, Santana still convinced that her and Rachel would only end up horribly. But she no longer denies that Rachel always makes her smile and feel better, that she and Dani brings her to life. Santana shakes her head, she has other things to think about right now. She just needs Rachel to come back so she could figure it out.

An hour later, like she promised; Rachel came back to the apartment, she made sure to let people know that she's doing extra classes the next day and a few on a day they'd normally be closed to make up for this day. But it was worth it, as long as she could help Santana feel better in any way; she'd do it. She walked into her apartment, she realized she should get out of her dance clothes, but she wanted to check in on Santana. Rachel approached her roommate's door, knocking on it once "I'm home." she calmly announced.

Santana felt like hours went by and she was just in her thoughts. It wasn't only about her job, it was about every single thing that happed in her life that lead her to this moment. _'I guess that's what happens when you're awake for almost 24 hours..'_ The moment she closed her eyes Santana hears Rachel opening and closing the apartment door and her heart starts to race, _'Finally.'_ she thinks and a few second later there is a knock on her door. Santana pet the spot next to her and hums, waiting for Rachel to get into bed.

"Hey." Rachel calmly greeted Santana. "Did you rest at all?" she asked as she walked to her friend's bed, crawling onto it in the process.

Santana shakes her head and turns on her side, she's getting closer to Rachel and nuzzles against her neck. Her right hand gets under Rachel's shirt and making circles on her stomach.

"Aw.." Rachel frowned, placing her hand on Santana's back. "What all went down at work?" She asked as she started to run her finger up and down Santana's spine.

Santana takes a deep breath and tries to stay awake, _'So comfy..'_ Her hand keeps wondering on Rachel's stomach, "My boss.. She has clubs all over the country and now she's moving to Canada to try and open some more there." Santana starts to explain, her lips inches from Rachel's neck and she's so tempted, "So she needs someone to run the club here. She wants me to do it, that's why she gave me some strange things to do lately." She sighs, "I.. I just stormed off her office and got into a really extreme session, which I'm not used to and my body hurts like hell. And my boss told me she doesn't care about the storming out and she wants me to tell her yes by the end of the day."

"Well.. What does it mean if you take the job? More cash? More respect? Almost all the control you can get. If it were me, I'd take it." Rachel chimed in, putting some pressure on Santana's back.

"It's more of everything! But I can't do it, I'm not cut out to run a big business. Being a Mistress was always my thing.. It gives me just what I need and I have fun. And now she wants me to be responsible and in charge of the club. About a hundred women come there every day, we have a huge staff." Santana sigh, then she realizes she ran her fingernail deep in Rachel skin, "I'm s-sorry.." She moves up to put some space between them.

Rachel looked at her stomach "First of all, ow." She sat up rubbing the spot Santana scratched. "Second of all, she wouldn't ask this of you if she didn't think you could do it." She pointed out, gently placing one hand on Santana's lap. "Look, you were, for a little bit.. The head bitch of the Cheerios, you went to NYADA and even made Cassandra scared of your talent. You survived Lima! And you're telling me the almighty bat-out-of-hell Santana Lopez, can't manage a club?" Rachel sat on her knees, crossing her arms. "I hate to sound mean, but you're gonna do it, because you need to prove yourself wrong." She demanded then got out of bed. "I know you would make me take up anything that'd involve a better life for me and you two, as your roommate, I say do it. You got this by the balls." She cheered a bit.

In moments like that, Santana can really see that they're a family. Even before Dani came along, when Rachel, Kurt or her needed the others they'd be there, no matter the shit and maybe because all the shit they've been through together. Dani joining only brought them closer. Santana pouts seeing Rachel getting out of bed, but she hurt her so she understands. "It's more than just the fear of running the place." Santana admits, "I'm not a Mistress just for fun, it's mainly for much deeper reasons. I wouldn't be doing it anymore there and.. I guess I'm scared." She bites her lip, not sure if she feels good or bad about opening up.

"I get that, and that's why you have.. N-Never mind." Rachel covering her mouth. "So, uh.. I know! How about we have a big thing of ice cream? I think there's some left from when Marley stayed over."

"It hurts to move. Will you come back to bed?" Santana got so used to sleeping with Rachel's body press to her body and just have her next to her, that now it's difficult for her to fall asleep alone or just lay in this big bed all by herself. Not that she'd ever say that.

Rachel bit her tongue as a way to hold back any sexual comment she wanted to make. "Okay.." She crawled back onto the bed. "If it means anything, I have faith in you." Rachel proudly admitted.

_'It means everything.'_ Is the first thing comes to Santana's mind, but instead she says, "Thank, Rach. I'll talk to her later." And smile. "I'm so stupid, I should've stopped to think before getting in a session like that. I don't even like it so rough! Now it hurts everywhere." Santana never felt her muscles gets so tensed before.

Rachel looked down at Santana, biting her lower lip more than usual. "A little suggestion.. How about you remove your top, then lay on your stomach, and I will give you a nice massage."

_'Oh my God. Her hands on my body.. Ok, calm down, Santana, she's just being nice. You can do it.'_ Santana nods and wish the air conditioner was on cause she's already burning up. Slowly, Santana pulls her shirt off, wincing in the process. She turns her back from Rachel, and even though she told her to take only her shirt off, Santana's bra finds her way to the floor. The Latina lies on her stomach and bite her lip.

"Oh my god.. How intense was that session?" Rachel traced her hand on the marks she saw on her roommate's body. "Don't you worry, I'll take care of you." It was more apparent that Rachel's motherly instincts kicked in as she felt no amount of sexual pressure the second she pressed both her palms into Santana's back.

"It was crazy, you don't want to know." Santana mumbles, her eyes closed. Rachel knows what she's doing, Santana already feels better. She had one of the longest nights of her life, but it was worth it; this is the best feeling in the world.

Rachel's hands went towards Santana's waist, with every movement south; she would press her thumbs near Santana's spine, moving them in a circular motion.

Santana's body relaxes under Rachel's soft hands and her mind is clear from every annoying thought. She could fall asleep, but her heart throbbing so fast it hurts. It's everything; she craves Rachel in all aspects. It's crazy how much she wants her, but it's even more amazing how safe and happy she feels with the woman by her side.

Rachel worked her way up to Santana's shoulders "How do you feel?" she asks as soon as her hands are over the Latina's shoulders.

"M-Much better." Santana is kind of high, also she's tired, sexually frustrated and something she's not ready to admit yet, "Your hands are fucking amazing, Rach."

"I'm glad you're feeling better." Rachel pecked the top of Santana's head, then went back to massaging her back. "Honestly, any time you want a massage, just ask me. I clearly do it better than any licensed person you may have gone to, and you don't have to pay for it."

"I'm sure I can find a way to return the favor." Santana comments and smirks. Than a moan slips her lips; Rachel touched a sensitive spot she felt electricity shook go through her body.

"I wouldn't want you to; I love taking care of you!" She confessed, then quickly rose up to cover her mouth.

"Fine, then I won't give you a mind blowing orgasm." Santana knows exactly what Rachel meant, but she just got rid of her tension, she doesn't need it back. Brushing it off seems the best idea.

Rachel chuckled, "Maybe I should give you one. I know ways by just massaging your upper body." She leaned against Santana's bare back. "There's a pressure point that could simulate an orgasm."

_'Well, that backfired..'_ Santana thinks and moan. She really doesn't need that; she's too exhausted for sex, even if Rachel can make her cum in a second, and the direction of this conversation only going to get her more sexually frustrated. "I'll make sure to remember that, but what do you say we take a nap and then eat that ice cream?"

Rachel nodded as she rolled off of Santana. "I'm not that tired, but I can catch a few more Z's I guess." She said with a smile on her face.

"My laptop is on the desk, if you don't want to sleep." Santana points out. She turns on her side and lean her head on her palm, "Thank you, it was perfect." She smiles and tug on Rachel's shirt, "Whatever you decide, that needs to go. It's only fair." Santana points at herself and bite her lips. She turns back on her stomach and wait for Rachel, "You know I get the best sleep with your body press to mine." Santana admits, already on her way to dreamland.

_'Only you, Santana Lopez, would be this adorable while being half naked..'_ She thought while her hand travels up and down Santana's back. _'I, too, sleep better with your body against mine..'_ Her face lit up as she falls to sleep.

* * *

After a two hours nap, Rachel and Santana woke up. Santana, of course, wanted to stay in bed some more, but Rachel got up from the bed and got dressed. She told her she was promised ice cream. Santana went after her, it's not like she wanted to lay alone anyway. When Santana exited her room, she saw that Rachel was already sitting on the couch. She shook her head and went to the kitchen and make them two bowls of ice cream. She walked to the couch and place herself next to Rachel, gave her own bowl and pulled her closer. "You slept alright?" Santana asks and starts to eat.

"I don't think I could have slept better." Rachel rested her head against Santana's shoulder, then took a bite of her ice cream. "How about you? That massage I gave you really helped, didn't it?"

"You have no idea!" Santana smiles and rest her head backwards. "I told my mom I'd call her to arrange our trip.. But I'm too relaxed for that."

Rachel beamed over at her roommate "Well, as your friend, I think maybe I should help you wake up some more.." She suggested as she placed her bowl on the coffee table. "Allow me to, please?"

"Oh, maybe we should take more naps." Santana grins and place her bowl next to Rachel's. "You're definitely allowed."

Rachel got off the couch, sitting on her knees in front of Santana "Just stay still.. If you're able to." She leaned towards the Latina and started to kiss at her waist.

Santana grabs the couch's armrest, "It's not nice to tease, Rach." She smirks and put her hand in Rachel's hair, "Maybe you should put that pretty mouth of you to a better use." Santana licks her lips. She was already on the edge from earlier and Rachel just drives her crazy.

"Like earlier.. I will take care of you." Rachel winked as she slowly lowered Santana's pants, with each centimeter of skin Rachel saw, was playing with her hunger for Santana. Quickly, she tossed Santana's pants to the side, then she kissed from Santana's left ankle to her center.

"Fuck, Rach!" Santana's hips bucks up when soft lips connect with her skin. What Rachel does to her body is something she never had with anyone else; it's almost animalistic how much she wants her. "C'mon, I'm so ready, Rach. I need more." She almost yells, her chest rise and fall fast.

_'O-Okay, Rachel.. You can do this..'_ She gulped as she pushed the part of Santana's panties that covers her area, she looked into Santana's eyes for a few seconds, and then she pushes her tongue inside of Santana.

It's not her first time having sex or their first time together, but it's the first time Santana feels Rachel's tongue inside of her. They always went around, Santana didn't want to push Rachel to do anything she wasn't ready to do. She doesn't know what happened to change the woman's mind, but she isn't going to stop her and ask, because what Rachel is doing to her body is freaking amazing. "Y-Yes, fuck just like that." Santana digs her fingers in Rachel's hair, trying to get her closer and feel more, "Don't ever stop." Santana doesn't care about anything in the world except Rachel's tongue and she screams loudly.

Rachel continues to lash her tongue inside Santana, putting more speed with each stroke. The brunette makes a soft humming sound against Santana as her tongue strikes the Latina's walls.

"Holy shit!" Santana moans and arch her back. She's so close, she just needs Rachel to keep doing what she's doing. Her hands hold Rachel in place while she practically rides her tongue. "It's so good, Rach!" Her walls starting to squeeze against Rachel's tongue and Santana feel she's going to cum in any second. She bites her lip as she gets closer and closer to the edge. Santana doesn't want it to end, but she needs it more than anything else. "I'm.. Oh, fuck! Rachel!" Santana screams as the orgasm burst through her body and her eyes rolls back. Her body falls back on the couch, she pants and a bit shaky.

Rachel took a few breaths, lifting her body up towards Santana, "I-I told you." She gave Santana a lip bitten smile as her hands trace the Latina's hips. "I am gonna be honest.. It's very, very difficult to not mack on your lady lips." Rachel softly giggled.

"Don't get too cocky or else I'll punish you like I did the first week and I know you didn't like it." Santana smirks and trying to catch her breath, "You did good. Are you sure it's your first time?" Santana's index finger runs on Rachel's lips. The mere thought of Rachel doing it to someone else makes her furious.

Rachel brushes her tongue against the tip of Santana's finger, "Yes Miss Santana.. I am more than sure that this is my first time." She grazed Santana's hips a bit longer then she moved back. "Not to ruin the moment, but I need to call Dani's case worker about taking her out of state.. And you need to call your mom." Rachel tapped Santana's nose gently before she walks to her room.

Santana blinks a few times, "Rachel!" She yells after her and pouts alone in the empty room. Naked. The last thing she wants to think about right now is her mother, all she wants is her lazy day with Rachel to continue. She drinks from the water bottle that was on the couch since the morning and laid her body on the couch.

_'Oh my god.. I can't believe I just.. And I made her..'_ Rachel blushed at the thought of what she had done to Santana, she quickly grabbed her phone then walked back out to the living room. "You're still tired, aren't you?" She placed one hand on her hip

"I wasn't when I woke up, but someone made me sleepy again." Santana glares playfully at Rachel, "And my phone is in my room, so I can't call my mom. I guess I'll just go back to sleep.." She adjusts herself on the sofa, making room for Rachel to lie next to her and waits.

"You can focus on getting sleep, I will handle calling people." Rachel walked to Santana, she gently rubbed her shoulder. "Do you need anything while I'm up and about?"

Santana sighs; she's acting like a baby and letting Rachel do everything. It makes her feel bad. She covers her body with the blanket and pull Rachel's arm so she'd sit next to her, "You have my mom's number, I can call her from your cell."

Rachel was reluctant to hand Santana her phone, mainly due to who she had on her wallpaper. But she swallowed her pride, then handed Santana her phone, "You have to do a pattern to unlock it, it's right, down, left, down, right." She bit her lower lip nervously.

Santana unlocks Rachel's phone and gasps when she sees that Rachel's wallpaper is a picture from a few weeks ago, when Dani and herself watched a movie together, crawled up on the couch. She glace at Rachel and smiles, then fins her mother number and calls her. While she waits, Santana leans back, pulling Rachel with her, and trace her fingers on Rachel's body. Suddenly, her mom picks up and yells, asking what's wrong.

"Momma, calmarse. It's me, everything is fine." Santana listens to her mom telling her she scared her; she's not used to get phone calls from Rachel, so she was sure something happened to Santana or Dani.

"My phone is my room, I was too lazy to get up. Lo siento."

A bright smile appears on Santana's face while her mother talks, "Dani and Rachel are doing great, sí." Then a blush covers her cheeks and her heart beats faster, "mamá, te lo dije, somos sólo amigos. No pasa nada entre nosotros." Santana tries not to tense and control her breathing while her mother saying that now that they have a child, she needs to be with Rachel and that she knows that there was always something there.

"Momma, basta. I want to talk to you about thanksgiving." She tells her mother in a pleading voice.

Living with Santana, Rachel learned many things, but two things that stood out; how to dress sexy, and how to speak Spanish. The things she heard, she understood and it caused her to blush a lot. _'I hope Santana didn't forget I know what she's saying..'_

"I'm guessing Dani and Marley would stay at ours after the big dinner, but for the rest of the trip they'd stay with Rachel." Santana loves her mother and she's, obviously, very happy that she accepts her as she is, but sometimes she can be ridiculous. Most of the times she's cool, but since Santana turned 25, her mom keeps asking her about getting married and grandkids. Now that Dani is in their lives, Maribel is ecstatic. But she's convinced her daughter and Rachel are meant to be.  
"No, Mamma, ella estaría viviendo con sus padres. I'm going to hang up, I'm serious, stop." Santana sighs, she knows her mom means well, "Le pedí que se uniera a nosotros, y le puedo dormir la noche si ella quiere, ella lo sabe." Santana explains to her mom and tries to change the subject, "I hope you didn't turn my room into an art room or some sh.." She stops and corrects herself, "Something like that."  
They talk a bit more and Santana hangs up. She places the phone on Rachel's stomach and sigh.

"So how did it go?" Rachel asked as she picked her phone up, then looked through her contacts.

Santana blushes some more, "Fine.. You know my mom, she loves to host. And she wants you to come to dinner while we're there."

"You know, she's always asking about my personal life, she messages me on Facebook all the time asking me if there is someone I'm looking for." Rachel started to chuckle. "Okay.. Wade... Here it is." She said out loud as she clicked the contact on her phone, then put the phone to her ear.  
"Yes, hi!" Rachel smiled at the happy sounding voice on the other end of the phone.  
The person was wondering how Dani was doing, and how school was going along. "Yeah, she's coming home with good grades.. Over here?" She asked with a raised brow. "Y-Yeah, I would love that. Oh, next week My roommate and I wanted to take Dani out to Ohio, would that be a problem?" Rachel nodded at the various words on the other end. "Yeah, just for a few days, I have dance classes so I can't be gone that long.. Perfect. Okay.. You too, bye." She hung up, then shifted her body to where she was a bit closer to Santana. "So.. Wade, Dani's case worker is going to be coming by to do an in home review. It needs to be done before we take Dani to Lima."

Rachel's words broke the bubble of thoughts that Santana was in during the conversation. "That's not a problem, the sooner the better." Santana smiles, "Tell me when he's coming and I'll be here."

"So we got.. About an hour before I have to leave to pick Dani up from school." Rachel points out as her face moves closer to Santana's. "What do you want to do in the meantime?"

Santana raises her eyebrow; she's not sure what got into Rachel, but she's into it, she likes that they're being so close, "Well.. I'm still naked." Santana just points out.

"Hm.. That's not fair that you have to be the only one naked." Rachel sat up removing the tank top she had on, then she pushes her jeans down. "I am so glad I took today off." Rachel points out as she slides her panties off, then she unclips the bra, allowing it to go down her arms, then she tossed it to the side. "Now.." she lays besides Santana. "We are both naked.." Rachel winks.

_'So freaking sexy..'_ Santana thinks while watching Rachel strip. It's not only her body that Santana enjoys, it's how, now, and Rachel is so comfortable around her in a situation like this. "Hm.. What do you suggest we do?" She asks. Oh, she's going to have fun with Rachel now. So much fun.

_'It's strange.. I am not in a sexual mood, but I really like being this way with her..'_ Rachel has one hand on Santana's back. "Right now, I like what we are doing.. It's so quiet, and it's almost.. In my opinion, better than sex." A blush was seen on Rachel's face after admitting that. "So many of those fucking cheesy romance novel lines are forming in my head right now." She starts to giggle, "I feel a mixture of weird, but it's the best kind of weird.. You know?

Sex is easy and it's simple for Santana, emotions are complicated and scary. The intimacy level now is, for sure, more than what friends or people in a sexual relationship share and it's not about them being naked, it's not the physical that matters. Santana would rather sleep with Rachel now, then just lay there feeling this good. Because looking in Rachel's eyes, laying together, holding each other, all these things have a much bigger meaning then a simple fuck. But Santana won't do it too Rachel, she's just going to stay here and think about everything that is not related to how amazing she feels with Rachel by her side. "You're such a dork" Santana tries to joke, while she holds her tears back. The last person she's acted like that with was the one who broke her.

"Oh, I'm a dork?" Rachel raised a brow, followed by a smirk. "While that may be true, I feel like I should say that I am not one, then tickle you for calling me one for the sake of getting a laugh out of you." Rachel was not shy on what she thought she should do, but seeing the look in Santana's eyes told a different story to Rachel. "Are you okay?" She gently presses her forehead against Santana's, wrapping her arms around the Latina's waist.

Santana bites her inner cheek and nod. Her hands travel up and down Rachel's body, scratching gently the soft skin under her fingernails. Her mind plays some good memories of her time with Brittany to convince her that it's ok to feel, but she can't shake how badly it ended and how destroyed she was. "My mom is going to spoil Dani so much, I'm not sure she'd want to come back with us."

"Yeah.." Rachel nodded as she rests her head into the crook of Santana's neck, placing soft kisses on her collar bone. "My dad's will probably do worse in that aspect.. Every Christmas they went all out for me, you, Kurt and Blaine." She bit her lip to contain her laughter.

"It'd be weird to be far from her," Santana let the words out without thinking, "She's always here or at Kurt's."

"Or as of late, at her little girly friend's." Rachel pointed out as she closes her eyes.

"Yeah.. " Santana nod and just stares at the ceiling.

* * *

Sometime later in the day, Dani and Rachel made it back to the apartment. Rachel didn't go into details as to how her day went, simply because it was one of those things that she didn't want to dabble into. As for Dani she continued to express her disappointment in the fact that Marley wasn't going with them to Lima, not that she didn't love being around Rachel and Santana, it's just that she really loved being around Marley as well.

"Hey, kid. I missed you." Santana almost jumps on Dani when she comes in. She had a crazy morning, but mostly it was amazing and now she feels crazy energetic. She hugs the girl tightly and smiles at Rachel.

A blush formed on Dani's face due to how quick Santana was to hug her, but she would be a liar if she said she didn't miss Santana either. "I missed you more 'Tana" She hugged Santana then gave her a peck on the cheek.

Rachel walked to the couch, sat down on one end, remembering that her and Santana laid on this very couch in stark. She quickly got up and flipped the cushions over then ran to her room, pulling out a spare blanket from under her bed, then walked back out, placing the blanket over the couch, then she tucked the ends in to make it look nice.

Dani looked at Rachel as if she was hiding something, "Uh.. Why did you do that?" She asked.

"N-No reason.. What? A girl can't tidy her place up a bit?" Rachel was quick on the defense as she sat back down on the couch.

Santana's body shakes as she tries to hold back her laughter. She knew why Rachel suddenly decided to make a little change and it's hilarious to watch. "Yeah, D, this couch was getting way too dirty." Santana starts to walk over to where Rachel sits, her bottom lip between her teeth.

"Anyways.." Rachel glared at Santana for a few moments, then looked at Dani with a smile on her face. "Your social worker is coming by within the next few days, just to see how you're doing for himself." She explained.

Dani's excitement shot out. "Wade is coming over? Yes! He's so awesome!" She cheered for a few moments. "He will love you guys, I know it." Dani clapped her hands, trying her best not to overload in happiness.

"He's going to see that you're happy and well taking care of, so nothing to worry about." Santana isn't sure who saying to; Rachel, Dani or herself? "Come sit with us, we wanted to talk to you about something." She nods her head towards the space between herself and Rachel. Dani came and sat in between the two women, she placed her hands on her lap.

Rachel looked at Santana "Since you announced, I'll let you talk to her." She said while leaning against the couch.

Santana gulp first and remind herself to be sensitive, "We now you're bummed that Marley isn't joining our trip, but try to put it aside for just this talk. We really want to know how you feel about celebrating Thanksgiving in Lima, meeting our.. Your.." Santana stops to think about at and giggles, "Meeting your grandparents. We don't want to push you into something you don't want or not ready for and seeing so many new people, especially family, can be overwhelming." She lifts her legs on the couch and turn her body to face the Dani and she leans on her head on her hands, waiting to hear from the girl.

"Well.. When I first heard, I was scared of being rejected by them." Dani rubbed her knees. "But when you and Rachel told me about how great of people they are, I started to get over my fear.. What helped was the times I hung out with Kurt and his dad. He was quick to call me his grandchild and Kurt isn't the one adopting me." She smiled at the two women.

Rachel almost gushed at the fact that Dani is very accepted among everyone. "Well, if we get our stuff together, Burt would be one of your grandparents.. Or something similar, since Kurt and Blaine would be your Uncles."

"My mom, let me tell you, is in love with you." Santana starts to laugh, "Please, when we get there can you call her abuelita or nana? I know she loves being one, but she won't see it coming and probably faint!" Santana can see it in her head and holds her stomach because it's hurts to laugh.

Dani nodded "I will call her nana." She announced proudly. "Now, can I go text Marley?"

Rachel rolled her eyes, "Yes, go ahead. Not like you won't be on that thing enough, while we're in Lima." She waved her hand.

"Yay!" Dani got up and left the room.

"Okay, were we like that at her age?" Rachel sat up, kicking her legs up on the couch.

"I think we were, but not as cute." Santana's eyes follow Dani until the door of Rachel's door gets closed. "So.." She turns to look back at Rachel, "You just, out of nowhere, wanted to change the sheets?" She asks playfully.

"Yes.. I mean someone needed to clean up the leakage that happened." Rachel retorted in a playful tone, she wrapped one arm around Santana. "Today, though.. It was amazing.."

"Agreed. Thank you." Santana rubbed her nose on Rachel's then looks at her phone, "Maybe we can cook dinner? Or make dessert and order in?" She asks while replying to a text, "My boss already told everyone that I accepted the job and my phone doesn't stop ringing!" She groan and place it back on the table, focusing on Rachel again.

Rachel smiled some "How about I work the kitchen, and you relax." the brunette got up, walked around the couch, but felt like she needed to hold Santana a little bit longer. Rachel walked back, wrapping her arms around her roommate, placing a gentle kiss on her neck. "You deserve all the rest you can get, sweetie." she whispered._'God, I think I am overdoing it on the flirting.. But I love it!'_

"If you'll keep spoiling me, I might get used to it, Rach." Santana then lowers her voice, "And if you'd keep doing what you're doing right now, you'd have to change the sheets again." She says and poke Rachel's side.

"Wanky.." Rachel walks into the kitchen, then looks through the cupboards. "How's pasta?" She asked then pulled out a couple more boxes "Or we could have rice with some vegetables." She suggested even further.

"The rice thing? Let's go healthy tonight." Santana chuckles and goes back to replying to texts. When Rachel was gone, Santana took a long warm bath and when she got out she saw her phone vibrating none stop; she's returning messages since then. "I might have to do some work later. Would it bother you while you sleep?" The question comes out so naturally, Santana doesn't even notice how she's acting.

Rachel was chopping some carrots, "What kind of work are you doing tonight?" She asked before pouring a bowl of vegetables in the boiling water.

"Going through the budget, setting new customers with girls, plan the annual event.." Santana answers and lays down.

"Any.. Sessions?" Rachel asked as she leaned against the counter; feeling a bit jealous of the idea of sharing her roommate.

"Nope, not for me anyway." Santana tells Rachel and checks some mails from her boss, "The boss doesn't have clients, at this point they have a loyal pet or more-" Finally, her brain caught up with her and she quickly clears her throat; apparently this day affected her way more than she thought.

"Who.." Rachel wanted to ask if she was getting replaced as a sub. "Never mind.." she turned away to focus on her cooking.

Santana really didn't want to do it now, like that, like it doesn't mean anything so she let it go. She answers a few more messages before she hears screams and crying from Rachel's room. Without thinking, Santana throws her phone, looks at Rachel and run to see what's going on with Dani. When she enters the room, Santana sees Dani still sleeping, but her body moves from side to side as tears fall down. She can hear her mumble something, but Santana can't understand. She jumps to the bed and trying to wake Dani up without terrifying her more.

Rachel ran to her room, then quickly sat beside the bed on the side Dani was laying, she then grabbed Dani's hand and gently grazed the back of it.

Dani's breathing was shaky, more tears were streaming down her cheeks, "S-Stop.." She mutters in pain. "N-No more.." She continued to speak.

"Honey.." Rachel softly whispers to Dani, "It's Rachel.. I know you're in a dark place right now, but I am gonna need you to come back to us.. Please.." Rachel continued to graze her hand.

"M-Mom.." Dani's breathing becomes normal after hearing Rachel's voice, her body stops shaking, but the tears were still going down her face. Then suddenly her body shoots up, quickly moving her hand away from Rachel to cover her face, continuing to cry in her hands.

Santana got excited hearing Dani call Rachel "mom", but it's not the time for it right now. She scoots closer to Dani's shaking body, but makes sure not to touch her. "Dani, sweetie, it's me, Santana. You're home and you're safe." Santana tells Dani in a soft tone, "We're protecting you and we love you."

Dani felt Santana's presence, she leans against the Latina, holding on to her as tight as she could. "I-I'm scared.." Dani says, then looks over at Rachel. "Really.. Scared.."

Rachel raised a brow, "Honey.." She got up onto the bed, looking over at Dani. "What are you scared of?"

Dani nervously gulped, "I'm scared of getting hurt again.."

She wasn't sure if she had any maternal instincts, but maybe she does because all she wants now is to make sure Dani is alright. Santana securing her arms around Dani's body and kiss her forehead, "We'll never let anyone hurt you, baby girl, I promise."

"That's what they said.." Dani moved herself away from Santana, rubbing her eyes. "My dad.. He promised no one would hurt me, then.. He'd get drunk, and.." her eyes widened a bit as she hugged her knees. "He would yell at me, saying I ruined his and my mom's life.. _'Get your ass back here! You need discipline for your actions!'_ He would say.. That it was my fault because I was different.." she shook a little. "My whore mother didn't do better.. She'd screw any guy she could wrap her legs around, which made my dad psychotic.. Then she'd hit me anytime I would ask if they were fighting.." she gulped a bit. "I fucking hate them both.."

After hearing Dani's past, Rachel was near the edge, she wanted to find those two and do unimaginable things to them. "Dani.. I can promise you.. We won't be like your biological parents." she looked at Santana and nodded slightly. "You're a good person, and whatever it takes, I will do to make sure you're happy."

Santana's body got so tense while she listened to Dani. She's positive that she's capable of murdering those two poor excuses of parents. She can't understand how the people who supposed to be the ones that gives unconditional love, could hurt such beautiful soul. Unlike previous times, Santana swallows her anger and stays. She looks at Dani and takes her hands in hers, "Those people don't deserve you, they don't deserve to be called anyone's parents. I'm so sorry you had to go through this, but it would never, ever happen again." Santana glance at Rachel; whatever type of family they're now, that family needs her, "You have a family that loves you and appreciate who you are."

Rachel returned the glance at Santana, then looked back at Dani. "You have us, you have Kurt, you have Blaine, you have all of us." She held onto the young girl. "No matter what, and no one will hurt you.." Rachel placed a gentle kiss on her head.

Dani sniffled once, "O-Okay.." She had one arm around Rachel, then she tugged gently on Santana's hand. "Please.. 'Tana, closer.." She looked over at the Latina.

Santana sends Dani a warm smile and despite that her own body is almost shaking from nervousness, she moves closer and hugs Dani. She looks at Rachel and mouthing to her, '_She's fine_.' and starts brushing Dani's hair.

Rachel's eyes almost darken, she doesn't want to let go of Dani, for the first time Rachel had pure hatred towards someone, and her muscles were tensing up quite a bit. "Dani.. I need to walk with Santana to her work, would you be okay if I had Kurt come by to keep an eye on you?" She asked, looking over at the young girl.

Dani nodded, "Yes.. I will be fine." She smiled, looking at Rachel, "I love hanging out with Kurt, you know that." Dani explained while giving a soft kiss to Santana's arm.

"A little too much if you ask me. I might get jealous." Santana winks at the girl. She wants to stay like this forever, but Dani seems relaxed and Rachel looks like she'll explode if she keeps all that she feels inside. Initially, Santana planned to work from home, but Rachel needs to get some air, so they can go to the club for a while. "Rachel started to cook dinner, tell him he just needs to keep an eye on it and I'll grab something at the club." Santana gets up from the bed and exit the room.

* * *

Rachel had already texted Kurt to have him come over, and he did just that, Rachel mentioned little details of what happened with Dani, and what Kurt needed to do to get the dinner made. Rachel then left the apartment and leaned against the wall outside the door and waited for Santana.

The Latina quickly got ready, she didn't want to leave Rachel with her thoughts for too long. Thankfully, she already picked an elegant dress and just fixed her hair a little. She grabbed her purse, put in it some of her makeup to apply later, took her phone and left. She said goodbye to Dani and closed the door of the apartment behind her. Santana sees Rachel and stands in front of her, "Hey you. How are you doing?"

"I.." Rachel rubbed her arms shivering a bit. "After hearing Dani.. I want to kill her birth parents.." It didn't hurt Rachel to confess that, she feels if she left those people a bloody mess it'd be justified. "I never felt this way before.."

Santana puts her hands on Rachel's arms, "I know, Rach. They deserve to be executed or, at least, be in jail." She takes a deep breath to control her emotions, "But that would mean Dani would have to see them and go over it who knows how many times. She's no longer with them, she has a big family who loves her and a mother that would crush anyone who'd try to hurt her, even if she's against violence." Santana smiles a bit, hoping it'd get Rachel to loosen up, "Let's walk, you need to get some cold air."

"Yeah.." Rachel nodded slowly, and started to walk. "So.. Are you, uh.. Excited..?" she asked as they walked.

"Kind of.. It's going to be different, I'll have to get used to it." Santana answers.

"I see.." Rachel bit her lower lip, trying to push any thoughts of jealousy aside. "Different.." she repeats while continuing to walk. "You're gonna have that big job.. You're gonna be making the money, which is always nice... And you're going to have a... Someone else.." she looked at the ground.

Rachel always wears her heart on her sleeve, so Santana knows what she meant and what she's feeling. But she doesn't want to get into anything too emotional now, so she brushes it off, "Yeah, I'm going to be your sugar daddy." She laughs and nudge Rachel's side. "Would you come see my new office?" She asks.

"I guess so.." Rachel sighed._'Yeah, me and who else?'_ She thought in her head as they inch closer to the club. "So I told Wade to come by tomorrow afternoon, is that okay?" She asks.

"The sooner the better. Now that we know more about Dani's past, I just want her to-" Santana wasn't sure how to say it, "Officially be yours, I guess." She smiles at Rachel. They reach the entrance of the club and Santana greets the bouncer as they walk inside. The Latina takes a deep breath; yes, it feels different, but in a good way. She makes sure to stay close to Rachel while they walk and nods to a few people.

"Ms. Lopez! There is.." One of the girls comes running towards her and pulls her arm, "You've got to come!"

Santana notice the panic on the girl's face and turns to Rachel, "Go to my office. I'll be right back." She squeezes her hand and let the girl guide her to the disaster that needs to be taken care of.

Rachel nods and makes her way to the office, once she's inside she takes a look around. "Wow, this place already looks like it's tailored for Santana.." she smiles at some of the stuff she sees. _'This office is as organized as my office.'_

Ashley heard that her friend and new boss arrived and runs to her office to congratulate her. She knocks on the door and peaks inside, "Lopez, you here?"

"Last name is Berry, but you're close." Rachel turned to the familiar voice she heard. "Ms. Ashley, why haven't you been to class." She asked while crossing her arms, keeping a slight smile on her face.

"Oh, hey, Rachel." Ashley let herself in and looks around, leaning on the wall, "I had to take some of Santana's former clients, so I kind of moved her this week." Ashley laughs, "If you want someone to blame, blame Lopez. Where is she anyway? She left you here all by yourself?" She raises her eyebrow.

"Santana had some manager thing to do, so she wanted me to see her office, I like it, but it needs something pretty.. Like flowers." Rachel joked as she sat on the chair in Santana's office, kicking her feet up on the desk. "Not to sound needy or anything, but does any of your clients have a thing for dancing at all? I know your code is to not make things personal, but I think hobbies could be a public thing."

"If Santana would walk in here right now you'd be in tons of trouble. And probably me too. What do you say we talk this over at the bar? I'll buy you a shot." Ashley suggests with a bright grin, "I'm sure we can arrange something with your studio."

"I am actually good on the drink, I got something big coming up tomorrow afternoon, and I don't plan on being long." Rachel explained. "Plus, it's not like I am doing anything wrong by talking to you. She's getting another sub for work, so why can't I talk to people?" She's had that thought in her head ever since Santana first brought up getting a new "pet", even though Rachel has been doing her best not to be the jealous type, things don't always work out for her.

"At least get your legs off the table." Ashley looks outside, then lean back on the wall. Ashley knows Santana had something planned for Rachel, so she didn't want to ruin it or cross any lines with her boss, "Now that she's my boss the rules are different, Rachel. And it doesn't matter if she'll have a new pet or not, you're still hers and you need to act accordingly." She's acting professional and hopes she didn't hurt her friend.

Those words shatter Rachel like glass, as lowers her feet and looks down at the floor. "Yeah.. I don't matter either if she gets a new pet, my feelings don't matter.. Nothing of me matters." She mutters to herself.

Ashley closes the door and walks to Rachel and putting a finger under her chin to lift her head so Rachel would look at her. "She's your best friend, you know how hard it is for her to lower her walls. I know for a fact that she cares about you more than you think, she just needs time." There was a line Ashley was about to cross, she almost told Rachel things Santana trusted her to keep a secret, "Don't make me break her trust. But I am going to say one thing, I know how you feel and that it's hard for you, but if you can't hang there, you need to end it and stay away from her."

"Yeah, yeah, she never got over Brittany.. I know, I have known. But it hurts!" Rachel stood up, her body shaking as she runs her hands against her arms. "All the closeness, all the feelings I know she has for me, all the things I am willing to do. She doesn't want to act on it." She looks at Ashley, tears fighting to go down. "It.. It's not fair.."

"I'm going to forget she's also my friend for a second." Ashley holds Rachel's hands, "If you're doing things you don't want to just for her, you need to stop. Tell her that you don't want to do this anymore, she'd be ok and you'd still stay friends." Ashley has never seen two people that love each other that much and have such hard time getting their happy ending, "And it's not about that chick, it's about what it did to her and you'd be surprised with how much you don't really know." Ashley sighs, "I already said too much. But like I said, if you have the strength to wait for her, do it. If not, for the both of you, let her go."

Rachel quickly moved her hands away, "Don't touch me.. You don't know what it's like to listen to her cry, night in, night out while you had to live with the fact that your body killed your unborn baby.. I know more than you do, honey." She walked towards the door, opening it. "I need to leave.."

"Rachel.." Ashley turns to her and try to stop her from leaving, but sees Santana approaching the office.

"What the hell is going on here?" Santana looks at a very emotional Rachel almost leaving her office and her friend trying to stop her, "Out!" She growls at Ashley and the woman quickly leave the room, sending Rachel an apologetic look. Santana pushes Rachel inside and closes the door behind them, "What the fuck just happened?!"

"I need to know something." Rachel's lips quiver as she continues to try and fight back tears. "This job.." She gulps. "Y-You get to have s-someone else?" Her voice was cracking a bit. "While I have to stay faithful to you.." Rachel ran her hands through her hair. "Is that how it goes? I need to know this now because I don't think I can handle any of that."

Santana pulls Rachel with her to sit on her chair and holds her close to her body while she unlocks the middle drawer in her desk. Santana pulls out a white, shining, box and looks in Rachel's eyes, "I'm sorry I kept it for so long, but I wanted.. Never mind, just open it."

"Santana.." Rachel shook her head. "I need an answer." She sniffled as she looked down. "I don't want to share you.."

Santana wipes the tears from Rachel face and kiss her just near her lips, "Please, open the box, Rach."

Rachel let out a sigh, then opened the box to see a necklace that has an 'S' on it, she looks at Santana, her lower lip slightly bitten. "What is this for..?" She asked while furrowing her eyebrows.

_'You can do it Santana, it's not like you're asking her to be your girlfriend..'_ She gulps and smiles at Rachel, "When people are in a relationship like ours, the master give their sub a necklace with the first letter of their name. It's for everyone to know who you belong to, but it's also a symbol of commitment." Her grip on Rachel loosen up and her hands starts to sweat, "If you accept it, it means.." The words just won't come out of her mouth; it's harder than she thought, "There won't be anyone else."

Rachel almost fainted after hearing Santana's words; she wanted to just label them, but if this meant that Santana was in a way hers, then she was happy. "P-Promise?" She looks at Santana.

"I promise." Santana says, her mouth so dry. She then looks away, gathering her confidence back, and turns back to Rachel, "You must wear it when you're here and in our sessions. If you want to wear it elsewhere, it's your choice."

Rachel held on to Santana as tight as she could, shivering with excitement. "I don't think I will ever not wear it.." She bit down on her lower lip some more. "S-San.. Mistress.. I.." Rachel was wanting to be all gushy with Santana, but she respected that Santana now has a business to run. "Thank you.."

Santana giggles, "Do you remember that 14-years-old that lives with us? She'd have questions." She points out. Her body finally relaxes when she sees Rachel happy again. She was scared when she saw how hurt she was when she came back to her office. And what did Ashley do to her? Santana will have a serious talk with her later.

"She always has questions." Rachel jokes as she let her hands travel up and down Santana's back, she slowly moved her hand up Santana's dress. "Your back feels tense right now.. In fact, I think your whole body is tense, how about I make you feel better?" She suggests as she raises her head towards Santana's.

"I believe I have a favor to return and I have yet to touch you today." Santana's hands move all over Rachel's body, "What do you say you take the unnecessary fabric off your body and sit on the desk so I could turn this office mine."

"Fine, but after, I would love another chance to touch you." Rachel placed one kiss on the side of the Latina's lips, then she quickly unzips her hoodie. "Is that fair?" She asks as she continues to rid herself of clothes on her upper body.

"You're trying to make a deal with me, Rach?" Santana, still seated, puts her fingers in the belt holes in Rachel's pants and pulls her closer, "Maybe I should spank you so you'll remember your place." She starts to unbutton Rachel's jeans and licks her lips.

Rachel moved her hands towards the front of Santana's body, "Oh yeah, we're in your domain now." She giggled and licked her mistress' tongue, then she ran her hands up to Santana's chest. "Please.. Santana?" She fluttered her eyelashes.

Santana is well aware that this isn't a regular D/S relationship, but she likes what they have and she hopes she's not mistaken to think that Rachel does too. Santana stands up and bite Rachel's lip, "You're being very bad and I just gave you your necklace," She cups Rachel's face, "Maybe you're not ready for it. What do you say?"

Rachel looked down, "I'm sorry.. I guess I was just lost in the great day we had.." She nodded, then handed the necklace back to Santana. "You're right, I am not ready for it."

_'Ugh, why do I always pushing her?!'_ Santana shakes her head and kiss Rachel neck, "I'm sorry, I was joking, but it was mean of me." She flips Rachel's hair to her left shoulder and place the jewelry on her cheek and hook it, "It's yours, I don't want it back." She sits back down, "We don't have to go through with it if you don't want it. Just.. Use your safe word if you want to stop. I need to hear it." Santana feels a pain in her chest from treating Rachel like that, from going too far, from wanting something particular that's clearly hurt them.

"I was bad, it's okay Santana." Rachel gave a smile towards Santana's direction, "I'm willing to be punished." She nodded slowly.

"Ok, get rid of those jeans and stay with your panties." Santana looks at Rachel with eyes full of lust, "Lean on the table with your back to me and your ass up." She shakes the bad feelings and just admires Rachel's body, "17 Spanks, are you ready for it?" Santana's punishment were always pretty soft; if it was physical, Santana never used anything but her hands and never made Rachel cry. She thought Rachel wasn't ready for more it or wanted it, she just tried to find the balance between what Rachel wanted and what she could give her.

Rachel pushed her jeans down, then gets up and walks to the table, leaning against it, her face was a bit flushed but she was awaiting her punishment. "Mistress.. I had a lot of sexual thoughts today." Rachel blushed when she admitted that.

Santana chuckles and gets up, "I gather that much, your hands wondered quite a lot and that tongue.." Santana moans and strikes Rachel once, "What caused all these thoughts to come to that pretty head of yours?" Another strike.

_'Maybe it's because of your perfection?'_ Rachel moaned out with each strike, she rested her head against the table, breathing softly. "I-I don't.. I.. You.."

"Well, that's not a real answer, Rach." Santana strikes her again, then let her hand travel south until she feels how much Rachel needs her, "Have you been like that all day?" Her index finger moves along the wetness and her other arm keeps smacking Rachel's behind.

"Yes!" Rachel moaned out some more, she held onto the table even tighter than before. "Oh, God, yes!" She gripped the table tighter as she arches her back some more. "I think about your perfect body, Mistress.."

"I'm very proud of you for not taking care of it yourself." Santana is dying to finish the punishment and take Rachel, but she's not letting it get into her head; she keeps a regular speed while smacking her. "I think you deserve a treat after how nice and caring you've been today. Do you have something in mine or should I keep using my finger?" Santana whispers, her finger keep teasing Rachel.

"P-Please.. I want to ride.." Rachel begged, feeling more and more weak on her feet due to how much control Santana has right now. "Oh my.." She breathed in some more, holding back a loud moan.

Santana has to squeeze tightly on Rachel's waist to prevent herself from just giving Rachel what she needs. She bites down hard on her lip and speaks, "You have seven left. Be a good girl and wait for the punishment to be over." When she finishes, she smacks Rachel twice.

"Ah, fuck!" Rachel breathes heavily as she let's go of the table, her arms rested over the edge of the table. "I.." She's at a loss for words.

Santana finishes the punishment and turn Rachel over and looks at her with hunger she never experienced. She lifts Rachel on the table and almost rips her panties off. Santana spread Rachel's legs and before Rachel can say anything, she bites her way from her inner thigh to her center. Santana knows Rachel won't last for long, so she hurries to connect her tongue to her burning flesh and push two fingers inside. She sucks, bite and licks while her fingers hit Rachel in the right spot that she knows so well. Santana can feel Rachel is about to let go so she goes faster until it happens.

Rachel grips the table once more, her breathing is deep and loud with each second that goes by, she arches her back, her toes curling at the sensation Santana was giving her. "I can't hold it.. I can't.." She keeps breathing sharply, her body shakes a bit as she continues to try to hold her orgasm in "Oh.." She digs her nails into the table, then bites her lower lip as hard as she could. "Ah!" Rachel's eyes widen as she gives in to an orgasm, her face is a shade of red that she had no idea it could go to, her body continues to shake.

"God, Rach, that was fucking beautiful." Santana stands up and sit on her chair, watching Rachel's chest rise and falls. "Do you need something to drink?"

Rachel gulped a bit as she slowly got up from the table, her body was still shaking a bit. "A mug of Pepsi? Please?" She asked while pulling her jeans up her legs.

"Who said you can dress?" Santana gets up and wraps her hands around Rachel's waist, placing kisses on her neck, "I need to take care of those marks very soon.." She says mostly to herself and stops. "Sit, I'll go bring you your Pepsi. I'm not really into someone walking even close to this office right now." She nuzzles Rachel's nose and walks out.

"T-Thanks.." Rachel bit her lip slightly as she goes to sit on the chair, "Ow.. Fuck.." She let out as she quickly got up from the chair, she frowned slightly. _'I need to be better, these punishments are gonna kill me.'_ She chuckled to herself.

Several people try to talk to Santana on her way to the bar, but she can't care less. She sees Ashley in the corner of her eyes and growls in her direction, while waiting for the bartender to bring her the Pepsi and beer. When she does, Santana thank her and goes back to her office. She opens and closes the door quickly and smile when she sees Rachel, "Now, that's what I want to see every time I enter my office." She walks in and hands Rachel her drink.

"A half-naked Rachel with her pants barely on?" Rachel takes a sip of her Pepsi. "You.. You really worked me to the bone, almost literally." She looked at Santana with a blush across her face. "It also hurts to sit now.. So I don't think I'll be sleeping on my back for awhile."

"First of all, hell yeah." Santana giggles and lean on the table, "I haven't heard your safe word, so I'm guessing you had fun and you know I'll take care of the pain, so don't worry." Santana drinks from her beer, "Was is it too much?" She asks with concerned.

"A little." Rachel put her index finger close to her thumb and showed it to Santana, "Not that much though." She sipped more of her drink "I think you did more than pay me back, so much more that I owe you something hopefully as great." Rachel bit her lip. "Maybe when we're in Lima and we get some alone time, I will give you the premium massage."

"Definitely something to wait for." Santana winks at Rachel, "What do you say we go home? I planned to work from there anyway."

"Yeah, let me get the rest of my clothes on." Rachel winked back at Santana as she tightened the belt around her waist. "As part of my way of paying you back, no bra, no shirt, the only thing you need to do is unzip my hoodie." she pulled her hoodie on, zipping it all the way up.

"Better get you home fast, then." Santana grabs her bag and walks to open the door for Rachel and they go home.

* * *

**So we had some fluff, sexy time and more info about Dani's past. What do you think about this one? How do you think the trip to Lima is going to go?**

**Edited: Forgot to add the translate, so here it is:**

calmarse = relax.

Lo siento = I'm sorry.

sí = yes.

mamá, te lo dije, somos sólo amigos. No pasa nada entre nosotros = mom, I told you, we're just friends. Nothing is going on between us.

basta = enough.

Le pedí que se uniera a nosotros, y le puedo dormir la noche si ella quiere, ella lo sabe. = I asked her to join us and she can sleep the night if she wants, she knows that.

**'till next time.**


	10. Chapter 10 - part I

**Get ready and hold on tight, people, we're going to Lima!**

**UnaAventura96** **-** you're right, we rushed with Dani a little. You'll still see her struggle and overcome some issues in the future chapters.

**A huge thank you to everyone who read & follow the story, write reviews and added it to their favorite. It's a great pleasure to know people enjoy our work :)**

**Co-writing with Newphewsnixx.**

**Part I**

* * *

Rachel was quick on her feet to tidy up the living room, making sure that everything was immaculate, and even if it was she can't relax because of how eventful this day was to her. She prepared some left overs for Wade to have as a way to help convince him to allow Dani to go to Lima, and because she was in a good mood, but mainly the first thing.

When Dani came back from school, she saw Rachel cleaning the same spot she was cleaning before she took her to school. She laughed at the older woman and went to take a shower and get ready for the visit. She met Wade before and he was much nicer than she thought, so she wasn't nervous, just excited. When she was finished getting ready, Dani stayed in the room and texted Marley.

Santana got home about an hour before the home review; she had to get to the club in the morning and take care of some stuff, but hurried back the second she could. She knew Rachel probably doing way too much with getting ready and wanted to be there to calm her down. She took a cab and practically ran up the stair. She opened the door and walked in.

"Hey, Rach." She says nonchalantly.

"Hey." Rachel walked to the living room, looking at every inch of it. "Is that coffee table clean enough? I don't think it is.." She grabs some disinfectant off the counter then makes her way back. "I'm okay, I swear I am okay." She says as she sprays the disinfectant on the table, and then runs a wash rag over the table top.

It's worse than she thought. Santana walks over to Rachel and grabs her hands, "No, stop, the place is shining." She looks around and back at Rachel, "Why don't you go take a shower and get ready?"

"I took like.. 2 today, I am going insane right now." Rachel looked at the coffee table a bit more closely, "I think I see spots on the table." She said in a slight panic. "Where's Emma when you need her." Rachel threw her hands up, and then followed up with a pout.

"Rachel, honey, everything is perfect." Santana pulls Rachel into a tight hug, "Wade knows Dani is very happy here and he knows you take good care of her and loves her. Everything is going to be alright." She cups Rachel's face and caresses it with her thumbs, "We're going to have a nice chat, he'll let us take her to Lima and we'll have the best time there." She smiles and kisses both of her cheeks.

"Thank you, Santana." Rachel gives a smile towards the Latina, gazing into her eyes longer than needed. "So, uh.. I am gonna check on the left overs.." She calmly announced.

"Should I change or is this dress ok?" Santana walks and sit on one of the stools, "Should I check if Dani is ready? You know when she's talking to Marley she forgets everything." Santana asks and giggles.

"Santana, you look perfect, and your dress is perfect." Rachel happily admits then she hears a knock at the door. "You check to see if Dani is ready, I will go see if that's Wade." She walks to the door, opens it to see Dani's case worker. "Hi! Welcome to our home." She greets.

Wade smiles a bit, "Thank you and honey you look great." He compliments as he walks in to take in the atmosphere of the apartment.

Santana does as Rachel asked and walks to what turns to be mostly Dani's room, knocks and gets in, "Hey, D. Are you ready?"

When she's finished her last text, Dani lifts her eyes and looks at Santana, "Hey, Tana. Yeah, I am." She leaves her phone on the bed and gets up to hug Santana, "Is he here yet?"

Santana hugs back and nods, "I think so. Let's go say hi and get that approval or Rachel will die." She jokes and walks with the girl out to the living room. She sees that Wade and Rachel are already sitting in the living room and the two join them, "Hello, Wade."

"Hey, Wade!" Dani waves and sits between Rachel and Santana with a smile on her face.

"Oh my, just a house full of beautiful sisters today." Wade joked as he looked in his bag. "Now, I hear you three wanted to go to Lima, how long were you planning on staying there?" He asked.

"4 days; one day to get ready and the train ride, two days for family, and one day to get ready to come back." Rachel explained then looked over at Santana "That's correct?" She asked her roommate.

"Yep." Santana answers with a smile. She has no doubt they'd get the ok to go, but she's still nervous; Wade is a very nice guy, but if he'd see something he doesn't like, he can take Dani away from them. Santana doesn't want any of them to go through something like that; she wants everything to stay as it is now.

Dani looks between the adults, then focus on Wade, "So, can I go meet the rest of my family?" She smiles and pleads with her eye; who can say no to a young girl like her who just wants a family?

"Well.." Wade said as he brought out some paperwork. "Now you three know that because Dani is under the state's custody, we need to grant the rights to allow you to take her across state lines." He mentioned as he placed the paperwork on the table. "But child, I think you will be having a great Thanksgiving with them." He gave a nod.

Rachel held Dani's hand and smiled some more. "I hope so." She says, feeling good about the review.

"Now before I hand the paperwork, I need some knowledge about Dani's schooling." He requested. "She's going to P.P.A.S still, correct?" He asked.

"Yes, she is."

"Dani, do you like it at that school?" Wade asked with a gentle smile on his face.

Dani's smile grows even more and her cheeks turned reddish, "Yeah, it's great." She tells him and feels Santana's hand squeezing her free hand.

Wade writes a little on his clipboard, "Good, good.. How's the living situation here? Is she getting fed? Also, does she have a room?" He continued to ask. "I know it's pushy but it is my job, and I want to make sure Dani has a great home in you, Ms. Berry, and Ms. Lopez."

Rachel nodded, "She sleeps in my old room; I gave it to her because she needed it, a lot more than I do, so I either sleep on the couch or when Santana is working the graveyard, I sleep in her room." She answered carefully.

"Are you two.." Wade asked, waving his pen in both Rachel and Santana's direction. "Together?"

Rachel quickly shook her head "N-No, we are just best friends, almost like sisters.. Totally not together." She answered rather fast, waving her free hand.

Dani holds back her laughter, _'That wasn't obvious at all, Rachel..'_ She thinks and keeps looking at Wade. She wishes she could tell him that she's working on it and soon they'd be together and it'd be even more perfect.

She tries not to seem affected by Rachel's words, but inside, Santana is mostly amused, but also there is a slight amount of hurt. Of course, Santana being the closed off person she is, she focuses on the funny side of it, _'Sister, huh? It's not even kinky, it's just wrong..'_ She makes a note to tease Rachel about it later. "Will any of those issues be a problem?" Santana tilts her head, "We earn more money now, so maybe we could move to a bigger place, but.. Does it matter that Rachel isn't married?" Santana can't imagine losing Dani and she's tightening her hold on her hand.

"Oh, no it doesn't matter, just part of the list of questions I am required to ask. I asked about you two specifically because Dani mentioned in her last visit, that she considers both of you her parents." Wade explained as he finished writing on his clipboard. "Okay, looks like we are set, just need a signature from you Ms. Berry, and then you three can have yourselves a great Thanksgiving."

"Awesome." Rachel smiled some as she signed where Wade pointed, after she was done she shook Wade's hand. "Thank you, and please have a wonderful Thanksgiving." She stood up and walked to the door.

"Actually, there is one more thing, but I understand if you don't want to speak in front of Dani about this particular thing.. Could I talk to you and Ms. Lopez out in the hall for a few moments?" Wade stood up holding onto his bag as he follows Rachel to the door.

Santana stands up and looks at Dani, "You can go back to texting Marley; you took some breath separately and you must tell each other all about it." Santana smirks.

The young girl stands and glares at Santana, "We're not the only ones." She raises her eyebrow and leave Santana. They think they're being so secretive, but Dani notice some changes.

Santana frowns at the closed door of Dani's room and walks outside. She blushes a little when she sees Rachel and decides to stand far from her. She's scratching her arm and looks at Wade, "So.. What's up?"

"Well.. Rachel, I may have good news about the progress of Dani's adoption." Wade quietly, but happily announces. "I have all the paperwork in my bag that you sign, and I will be sending it to the higher ups as soon as I get back to my office."

Rachel gasped with some excitement. "When do you think we will get results?" She asks.

"Well, because it's a holiday week, it'll get there tomorrow; they will do their own review from their offices." Wade explains. "So I would say the latest would be the Monday after Thanksgiving, and earliest would be the day after."

"Are you serious?!" Santana almost jumped from happiness, "That's amazing!" She takes a few steps towards Rachel and hugs her, "Did you hear that?! You're going to be her mom, she's going to stay with us!" She says, barely containing her excitement.

"It's still up in the air Ms. Lopez, but I have faith in Rachel. Dani deserves her, and I can tell that she deserves Dani." Wade said before nodding towards the women's direction. "Have a good Thanksgiving." He walked down the stairs, and out the building.

Rachel was shaking a bit, "Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god." She hopped up and down. "Santana am I dreaming?" Rachel asked as her hands gently grip her waist. "Please, tell me I'm not dreaming."

"It's all real and he's right." She holds on Rachel's hands, "You're perfect for each other."

"I.. I am so happy." Rachel breathes in some. "I get to be a mom.." She latches onto Santana as tight as she could. "Thank you Santana.. Your support... That's just everything to me."

"You're already a mom, a great one." Santana holds as tight, "You're the most beautiful person that I know, and I don't mean only on the outside; you gave Dani a life and a family and you didn't care about the price. That's amazing to me." It's an important moment to Rachel, so Santana let herself open up, just a little, and support her best friend.

"I just.. So much has happened!" Rachel moved back and walked around, "If I could go back and tell high school Rachel Berry that consistent caring was a great way to live.. Well, I would." She looks over at Santana and smiles quite a bit. "Everything is perfect.." Rachel kept her smile. "I now have the best family ever.. Well.. One day it'll be even better."

Santana's smile grew, then instantly falls, but she tries to keep it up; Rachel deserves to be this happy. "Yeah, you'd find that someone that will complete the puzzle for you and be a good parent to Dani." She breathes through the pain in her chest, because she has no right to hurt or ruin Rachel's happiness. She made it clear that they aren't and never will be a couple. "And you don't need to tell her that; you made such a huge change, you grew and became someone a young girl can look up to. Even with all the horrible shit you've been through, it's what brought you to this point, so it was worth it."

"Yeah.." Rachel gulped. "Someone.." She looked away for a few seconds. "I am going to make sure we have enough bags for the trip, and see if Marley may need a bag or two from us." She explains before walking back into the apartment.

* * *

The next day, the three women made it to the Grand Central Station. Rachel made sure she had the tickets for her and the girls, showing them to the counter. After that, she took the other women to the platform of the train they will take to Lima. "Okay.. Where are Kurt and Blaine?" Asked Rachel.

"Probably trying to get their entire luggage into their car. They're always over packing." Santana answers and pacing back and forwards, trying to get warm.

Dani stands beside Rachel and looks around; it's going to be her first time getting out of New York, but she can't fully enjoy it because she's already missing Marley. The two haven't talked to each other since last night; Dani knew her girlfriend must be still sleeping, so she didn't text or call her yet. But she needs to put it aside, it's only for a few days and it's with her family.

"What's scary is it's mostly Kurt that over packs.. Blaine, literally, only takes two bags." Rachel sat at a bench by the platform. "So Dani, how are you feeling? 8 hours of a comfortable booth, and sightseeing from the window."

"I'm excited for everything!" She sees that Santana keeps pacing, so she sits next to Rachel, "I.. I just wish Marley was coming with us, you know.." She admits and lower her head.

Rachel gently patted Dani's back "It's okay, dear.." She says as she looks up to see Marley.

Marley quietly stepped over to the bench, sitting right beside Dani, then lifted up the pink haired girl's chin, placing a soft kiss upon her lips.

"Oy.." Rachel rolled her eyes and smiled a bit. _'I will leave them alone for a few, I wanna check on San..'_ She thought as she got up to walk to Santana. "Are you okay Santana?"

Dani jumps back, ready to kick some ass, when she see Marley sitting next to her with a huge grin on her face. "Marls!" She pecks her lips a few times, "What are you doing here?" Dani asks, and then realizes it might sound bad and correct herself, "I'm so happy you're here, but I thought you need to stay home?" She speaks while holding Marley's hands the whole time.

A few feet from them, another woman is startle, "It's cold, I hate when it's cold! And I just want us to get there already.." Santana is happy to get away from work and ho back to see her mom, but it feels different.. She's already missing Dani and Rachel, and they right next to her, "Sorry, I'm being weird." She shakes her head and rolls her eyes, "Those two just too adorable, but.." She almost referred to Dani as her own, instead, Santana frowns and looks away, "-It's too sweet, I might actually get a cavity." She chuckles and tries to warm herself,_ 'I'm wearing so many layers and still cold, what the fuck?!'_

"Santana, calm down, you're probably just excited to see your mom again." Rachel wrapped one arm around her friend's shoulder. "I'm excited too, and the second we step aboard, we will be that much closer to home.. Okay?" She tries to comfort the Latina.

Marley pressed her forehead against Dani's, "Well, it was planned; you see Rachel called my mom to see if the three of us wanted to go, of course we did but Elliot and my mom work at the same restaurant together. So my mom asked if I wanted to go, as long as I behaved myself while around you.. Which is gonna be impossible, but, yeah, I told her I would, then I asked Rachel if she'd keep it a secret from you, and let me surprise you when we got here." She explained while placing a kiss on Dani's cheek. "I can't wait to meet everyone."

"I want to be mad at you, but you're cute." Dani blushes, "It's going to be super fun! We'll meet Santana's and Rachel's parents and see where they grew up!" She says and claps, then rest her head on Marley's shoulder, "And look at them, I'm sure something is going on, I just don't know why they're not telling us." She huffs and cuddle her girlfriend.

Santana inhales Rachel's scent and nods, feeling much better. The last events related to Dani and how close her and Rachel got, making Santana very confused and scared. What Santana does in cases like that? Goes to a familiar place; she sneaks her hand around Rachel's waist and whisper in her ear, "You're going to be ok without me touching you for four days?"

"I think it's unfair that I get to do all the touching." Rachel whispered back. "Remember the massage?" She winked, then a bit of ways down there was Kurt and Blaine. "Hey! Kurt! What took ya?" Rachel waved.

"I am so, _so _sorry, the storage we bought to store our car wasn't opening with our key, so we had to wait for a guy to come and get us a new key and explain their new management crap." Kurt had a couple bags in hand as he walked towards the girls. "Young love, huh?" He said as he looked over at Marley and Dani.

Blaine slowly made his way, he looked more tired than usual, being a doctor really wasn't something he anticipated on looking into, but it wasn't anything he'd complain about. "I just can't wait till we get on the train.. I am tired."

"Blaine, you're always tired." Rachel points out.

Marley traced circles against Dani's back, "This is my first time leaving the state.. I am nervous.." She admits as she looked over at her girlfriend. "Are you nervous?"

"It's my first time, too." Dani says as she taps her fingers in different places on Marley's leg, "I was more nervous earlier, but now you're here so I feel much better."

* * *

The train ride was long, but went pretty well; the group slept most of the way, except Blaine, who slept the whole eight hours, and the rest of the time they spent playing different card games. When they finally got to Lima, Rachel, Santana and the girls said goodbye to Kurt and Blaine and told them they'd talk later to arrange a meeting later on. While they were on the train, Santana's mom texted her and said she left her car there for them to use. So Santana went to her mom's locker and grabbed the car keys from there, like she always does when she comes to visit. The four girls put their suitcases in the trunk and Santana drove to the Berry's household to drop them off. About fifteen minutes later, the car parked in front of the house and it's time to say goodbye.

"Well, we're here.." Santana says and tries to smile.

Dani looks outside of the window, "Is that where your parents live, Rachel? It's so beautiful!"

Rachel nodded, "Yep, they are pretty wealthy in terms of money, and love." She pointed out before stepping out of the car. "Santana, you sure you don't want to hang out for a few minutes?" She asked as she goes to the trunk of the car.

Santana watches the girls' jumps from the car and opens the window on her side, "Y-Yeah, we'll see each other later. My mom is probably waiting for me already.." It's hard enough for her to say goodbye, she just wants to get it over with.

Rachel walked to the window, she patted around her coat pockets, "Uhm.. Here.." Rachel pulled out a small gift wrapped box. "Don't open it till me and the kids are inside, or until you are a little ways down.. Just a token of my appreciation." She smiled a bit.

Marley had a couple bags in her hands, "Hey Dani, do you think we will get some alone time? Because.. Well I sorta wanted to try some other kisses from other comic book movies." She winked over at her girlfriend.

Dani almost drops some of the things she's holding, but still tries to act smoothly, "That can be arranged, ma' lady." She turns away from the girl and bite hard on her lip.

While the girls having their little conversation, Santana is speechless, "Y-You didn't have to.. Thank you.." She looks into Rachel's eyes, almost hypnotized.

Unaware of the moment, Dani runs to where Rachel is standing and gives Santana a kiss, "See you later, Tana." Then she looks at Rachel, "Come on, let's go, we have tons of stuff and I want to meet your parents!" She nudges Rachel's side because her hands are full.

"I guess you should go.." Santana says and gulps, "Have fun kids!" She says a little louder, "Tell your parents I said hey." She tells Rachel and squeezes her hand through the window.

Rachel calmly smiled, then walks with the girls to the porch of her parents place. "Now about my parents.. Dani they may be a little weirder than Kurt shopping at Macy's on a flash sale." She pointed out as she looked slightly down at Dani.

"M-Ms. Berry."

Rachel looked over at Marley, "Please, call me Rachel." She smiled over at Dani's girlfriend._ 'God.. Marley is taller than I am.'_ She gulped, then looked at the door.

"Rachel.. Are you, uhm.. Well.." Marley struggled to ask, she bit her lower lip as she leaned against the handrail. "Do you also.. Like women?" She asked the older brunette.

Rachel nearly fell forward from hearing that question. "W-Well.. Hey, we're at the door!" She announced then quickly knocked on the door.

Dani holds her girlfriend hand and shots her head up to look at her. First, Dani was nervous meeting Rachel's parents, but some of it was replaced with wonder about where Marley was going with her question. She doesn't have time to think about it because the front door opens and there standing two smiling men.

Santana watch the girls going to the front door and drives a few blocks away. She stops and opens Rachel's gift and sees a set of gold star earrings, the most beautiful pair of earrings she had ever seen. She takes them out and can see there is real gold in them and gasp. Her eyes began to tear up and she fights the urge to drive back and kiss Rachel passionately. Santana puts the earrings back in the box and pulls her phone from her bag.  
**To Rach: _'I'm lost for words. Thank you so much, they're gorgeous! Can't wait to see you all.. Have fun with your parents.'_ **She types and hit send. She takes a few more minutes to relax and wipe the tears, then drives home.

"Rachelah!" Hiram bellowed out with open arms. "Come give your daddy a hug!" He happily exclaimed.

Rachel bit her lip as she clings to her father, "Dad! I missed you!" She pressed her head against his shoulder.

Marley couldn't help but smile at the interaction, and how much she missed having that with someone. She then looked over at Dani with a smile creasing her face.

"Don't take her all to yourself, honey." LeRoy says. He places one hand on his husband's waist and one on his daughter's and kisses her head, "Hello, my love. I missed you so much!"

Dani is taken aback by all the love Rachel's parents spread on Rachel and squeeze Marley's hand tightly. That might be too overwhelming for her. She wants Rachel to hold her, but the woman is a little busy, so she gets closer to Marley for some support.

"Oh, man, did I miss you both." Rachel squeezed her dads for a few moments before leaving their embrace. "Dad, Papa, this beautiful pink haired girl is Dani, I mentioned her to you both a few times."

"Look at you, adorable like my little star over here." Hiram tousles Dani's hair. "Honey, could I call you Daniella? Or would you prefer Dani?" He asked then looked at the three girls, he lightly bumped his head with his palm. "Come on in already, it's cold out there!" Hiram took Rachel's bags and placed them by the fireplace in their house.

Rachel brought the girls inside, helping them move their belongings by her bags. "Did you two ever update your Christmas cards?" She asked before walking over to Dani. "My old room is down the hall second door on the right, go ahead and check it out."

Marley kept her hand inside Dani's, "This place is huge! Like.. How?" She asked.

"I guess Rachel's parent's makes a lot of money.." Dani says and they enter Rachel's old room, "Oh, wow.." She gasps and look around, walking and dragging Marley with her, to some photos that was left in the room, "Here is Rachel, Kurt and Blaine and.." Her eyes looking for the Latina, "Santana! They look so young, it's weird."

"Those two little girls looks lovely, darling. I can't wait to get to know Dani!" Leroy tells his daughter when he comes back from the kitchen with some snacks and sodas, "Where is Santana? I thought she was bringing you here."

"Wow.. Rachel looks.. Well less like how she looks now." Marley looks at the photos as well, amazed by how much everyone she knows from the picture grew up. "Santana still looks as young as she does in this picture; she must take really good care of herself."

"Santana wanted to see her mom, so I'd assume she's there." Rachel kicked her legs up on the recliner. "Dad and Papa, I know we don't celebrate Christmas, but I was wondering for the sake of Dani and Santana.. Could we do a little shopping for them? Just the three of us? The Black Friday sales are great to hit up." Rachel suggested.

Hiram looked at the ceiling, "Well, I guess we could. We don't ever really do anything for that day, just relax or get the Turkey that ends up on sale." He jokes, then sorts through some of his vintage cassette tapes.

"Of course we can, we can use some quality time together." LeRoy takes a seat on the sofa, "Now, maybe go check on the girls, bring them here so we could talk and get to know?"

In Rachel's room, the girls are still looking around. Dani is fascinated by everything she sees in there; she heard lots of stories, but now she gets to see more of Rachel's life as a child and teenager.

"Yeah, sure." Rachel got up and walked down the hall, before she got close to her room, she pulled her phone out of her pocket to see a text from Santana. She smiled at it then types away.  
**To San:_ 'I am glad you like it, a drop in a bucket compared to what you've done for me.'_**

Marley hopped on Rachel's bed, instantly moaning out, "This bed is so comfy!" She exclaims. "I swear, she had it good as a kid.. On a home life aspect." Marley kept her eyes on Dani, blushing ever so slightly.

Dani gets in the bed and crawl to Marley, resting her head on her shoulder, "Yeah, it looks like it." The pink haired girl pecks her girlfriend's lips, "Did I already tell you that I'm happy you came?" She smiles and bites her lip.

"You brought it up a few times on the train ride, but there is one problem." Marley leans a bit towards Dani, "I need a little bit of convincing.. How happy are you?" She asks before mushing her lips against Dani's.

Dani moans into the kiss and quickly returns it with all the passion in her. She uses one hand to hold herself steady and the other rests on Marley's stomach. Dani, shyly, runs her tongue Marley's lips and waits for her girlfriend to let her explore. Marley slowly moves her hand against Dani's stomach, her hand touching the hem of her girlfriend's shirt. Giving out soft moans throughout the kiss. Dani flicks her tongue against Marley's and moan she feels it for the first time. Her body leans to the girl under her and she tries to press to her as much as she could. Marley taste so sweet that Dani can't help it and she bites the girl's bottom lip, then push her tongue back to her mouth.

Rachel finally walks to her room and catches the girls making out, she quickly backs away without making any noise, her face red as a lobster. _'The hell..?'_ She looked to the side for a few seconds. _'Kids..'_ She rolled her eyes, then walked back to the living room.

Marley slowly traced her hand against the bare stomach of Dani, her body pushes up against her girlfriend as they kiss. "M-Mmm.." She softly moaned. _'Oh my..'_ her face lit up as she slowly stopped the kiss. "O-Okay.. I am convinced.." She chuckled.

"You sure? You don't sound convinced.." Dani sucks Marley's bottom lip, "And what about those movies you talked about earlier?" She straddles the girl and press their bodies together.

"Yes, I am more than convinced." Marley ran her hand through Dani's hair, gently kissing the top of her head. "Dani.. That kiss we had at school, that was my first." Marley confessed with a huge blush forming on her face.

"I w-was your first kiss?" Dani sits up, smiling widely, "Wow. Hmm.." Dani skin color matches Marley's, "I'm happy that no one had done it before me.." She caresses Marley's face and moves to lie next to her.

"How happy do you think I am?" Marley rubbed Dani's arm, biting her lower lip. "I think there is a reason why we're here.. Let's go hang out with Rachel and her dads." she suggests as she moves her body as close to Dani's as possible. "What do you say?"

Dani shakes her head, "They have a lot of catching up to do. I say, we stay here." She says, her eyes never leaves Marley's lips.

* * *

On another side of town, Santana arrives to her childhood home and parks the car in the driveway. She places the gift from Rachel, together with her phone, in her purse, takes it and her bags and gets out of the car. She looks around, smiling at some memories, and walk to knock on the door.

The door opens, and it's Santana's mom. "Mija!" She calls out, instantly hugging her daughter as tight as she could. "I missed you!" She looked at Santana, observing her face. "Dios mio! You look too skinny." She pointed out.

"Hola, momma." Santana hugs her mom back and feels like a kid again, "I missed you, too." She breaks the hug and grabs her bags, "Thank you for leaving the car. How are you?" She goes pass her mother and gets in the house.

Maribel closes the door behind her then follows Santana into the living room, "Where's the Jewish girl that lives with you?" She asks with curious intentions. "Also, that young one that you told me about."

"I dropped them all at Rachel's parents." Santana sits on the couch, taking her heels off and pulls her legs up, "They'd be here for the dinner, but they're staying there." She says with a hint of sadness in her voice.

"Oh." Maribel frowned. "Well, at least we're all gonna be around each other this year." She smiled some as she walked into the kitchen. "You must be done after that train ride, is there anything I can fix you?"

"Maybe something small." Santana smiles, "I need to do some work, I can use the energy." She gets up and follows her mother, "You have any beer?"

"Yes." The older Lopez answered sarcastically. "But it's not here, it's at the store." She pokes Santana's nose once. "Actually, it's not so much mine, as it is the store's, so you need to buy it." She continued as she went to the fridge pulling out some leftover Enchiladas and a bottle of flavored water. "Also, you will need a place to drink it because I don't allow alcohol that isn't the kind you put into your wounds, in my house."

Santana chuckles and rolls her eyes, "Momma, It's not like I'm going to get drunk; it was a long ride and I need to work, it helps me." She rests her upper body on the table, "I missed your food." Maybe compliments would help, though she knows it won't. But she did miss it, her mother is a great cook.

Maribel shook her head, "I really don't approve, but I can't stop you.." She expressed as she placed the plate on the table. "Just be safe.."

Santana huffs and goes to give her mother a hug, "Lo siento, momma. I know it's hard for you, it's hard for me too." Just the thought of her father brings Santana to tears, "But I'm always responsible. And now, that we have Dani, I drink less." She kisses her mother's cheek.

"Speaking of which," Maribel said as she pulled a fork out from the drawer. "I know you hate when I meddle in your personal life, mija." She mentioned before setting the fork by the plate. "But, when are you going to find someone?"

"Ugh, mom!" The young Latina sits back down and takes a few bites from the plate, "I only got promoted, I need to focus on that. Plus, I have a kid in my apartment. I don't have much time for dating." She moves her hand through her hair.

"What about Rachel? I know you see something in her." Maribel points out and sits on the other side of the table.

"W-What a-are you talking a-about?" Santana gulps, "I told you, ma', we're good friends, that's all." She tells her mother and drinks from her glass, _'Yeah, a good friend you can't keep your hands off or sleep without.. Damn emotions!'_ Santana glance at her mom, "Does Leo get those questions too when you talk to him?"

"Yes, but the thing is he knows what he wants. You, you've been looking for some answer to your purpose in life ever since you went to New York." The older Lopez expressed. "I just don't want you to wake up at 40 still unsure of your life.. So far, every time we talk on the phone since that little girl came into your life I have been hearing you say so many positive things, a lot of them having to do with Rachel."

Santana sighs, "I know you have good intentions, but with everything that's going on now, I can't think about it. I'm in a very good place in term of work and Dani is going to permanently stay with us. I like how it is now." Santana says and plays with her fork around the plate, "Rachel and I got much closer, but she's.. She's the types that will fall head over heels for someone, she's a romantic and she wants a quiet family life. Besides the fact we're friends, we can't be more different." So Santana thought about being with Rachel more than she'd like to admit, but she reaches the same conclusion every time and it doesn't matter how much she's drawn to the woman.

The thing Santana forgot was that no one knows a woman better than her own mother. That's the mindset of Maribel as she took notice to the pain in Santana's voice, the facial expressions she makes when she talks. The older woman knows more than what Santana is willing to let on, but she wanted to let it sink in first before she says anything more. "Right.." Is all she says about the whole situation." How are you enjoying your food?"

Relieved, Santana answers, "Of course! You're the best cook, momma."

* * *

Thanksgiving follows, after a lengthy sleep Rachel, the girls, and her dads all got up, cleaned themselves, and started to get everything ready for this day. Maribel called Hiram and asked if he and Leroy would help with the cooking, and they agreed because cooking was something they loved doing. The dads left for Santana's house, and the girls stayed back to wait for Santana to pick them up.

Rachel looked over at Dani for a few minutes, then over at Marley "Marley, I'm going to borrow Dani for a bit. Let us know when Santana gets here?" she asks as she takes Dani over to the room she stayed in. Rachel opted to not sleep in her old room because she wanted Dani to be as comfortable as possible, they make it into the room. "Dani.. I wasn't going to bring this up, but I feel as a parent, I should.." she scratched her arm gently, "I feel like a hypocrite for this, but I want you to take it easy on the kissing.. I sorta saw you two in my room.."

Dani gaps and turns red as a tomato, "Oh my God, mom!" She's never been so embarrassed, "That's creepy!" Dani frowns and tugs the hem of her shirt, "And we weren't doing anything, it's just kissing.."

"Hey, you forget I was your age once as well." Rachel crossed her arms and tilted her head. "I just.. I don't want you to make the same mistakes I made.. God, I sound like my dads and my mom.." She shook her head. "I am not mad at you, honey. I really am not, I just.. Safe.. Words.. Uhm... L-Like I said, take it easy.." Rachel nervously left the room.

The girl blinks a few times, then run after Rachel, "Waite, mom, a-are you going to t-tell Santana?" She looks at the woman with worried eyes. Dani knows that Santana care, but she wouldn't be as calm about it with how protective she is. Usually Dani loves it about her other mother, but she wants to keep seeing Marley.

"That's for me to know, and you to find out." Rachel covers her mouth quickly._ 'Wow! I think I am overdoing it on the motherly thing.'_ She thinks to herself as she continues to walk towards the living room area. "Marley, have you seen Santana's car?"

Marley shook her head "No, I saw a cute tuxedo cat frolicking through the lawn, but other than that.. Nothing." She explained as she leaned against the wall. "So are we going to Santana's place?" The younger brunette asks.

Dani frowns at Rachel move back to the living room, but stands a bit far from the other two. "We're going there tomorrow." Dani answers her girlfriend, "If Santana would show up, we're going to see some places." Right when she finishes her sentence, the women hears a horn and see Santana's car outside.

Santana honks to tell the girls she arrived and gets out of the car. It's barely been a day, but she missed them so much. She moves to the other side of the car and starts to walk slowly to the front door, when she sees them coming out. She pulls Dani to her and gives her a bone breaking hug and kisses her temple, head and cheeks. "Hey, kid. I missed you!" She smiles at Dani, then looks at Marley, "Hey, Marls." She says and let go of the girl in her arms. Her eyes moves to Rachel and her heart starts to beat faster, "Hey, you."

Dani looks at Santana and Rachel a little nervous, but walks to hold Marley's hand. She wants to tell Santana she missed her too, but the two adults look busy with the eye contact.

Rachel can't help but smile at the sight of Santana, "Hey.." She shyly says before turning to make sure the door is locked. "I was thinking, we could get something to eat, and head over to the old school." She suggests as she holds her bag closer to her.

Marley held on to Dani's hand feeling nervous around the two older women. "S-Santana?" She calls out. "I just wanted to say, you look as good as you did in high school." Marley gave a smile towards her.

Rachel looked at Marley for a few moments then back at Santana, "She's right, you know." Rachel smirks as she walks down the steps of the porch and heads over to Santana's car.

Santana and Dani raise their left eyebrow at the same time. "Of course she's right, did you look at me?" She points at herself and laughs, "Thank you Marley." She tells the girl and smile at the young couple joined hands. "Hop in the car and let's drive to Breadstix."

"Oh lord.." Rachel rolled her eyes and softly chuckled. "That's like your home away from home."

Marley walked with Dani over to the car, her eyes don't move away from her girlfriend that much, "D-Do you see the tension between those two? They are nuts for each other." She whispers to Dani.

"See it?" Dani opens the door for Marley, "I live with it! It's so clear there's something between them," She gets in the car and lower her voice more, "They just need to stop pretending." Dani sighs.

"I haven't eaten there in so long! And you can't say the food isn't great." Santana catches up to Rachel and lower her tone, "By the way, you looked kind of hot in high school, with that nerd-style." She smirks and walks to the driver's side.

Rachel's face lit up at Santana's comment as she enters the car, as much as she wanted to spill every hint of her real emotion for Santana, she needed to be strong for Santana's sake, she knows their relationship, she knows there can't be more for personal reasons... But it's getting to Rachel on a personal level.

* * *

After a short drive, the group arrived to Breadstix and find themselves a booth. Lucky for them, the place wasn't too crowded and quiet. They're trying to decide what to order when a tall, skinny, blonde waitress come to the table.

"Lopez?!"

Everyone's eyes shifts to the waitress. Dani frowns; she doesn't like how this woman looks at Santana.

"Kelly?" The waitress nods, "Oh, hey! It's been ages, how are you?" Santana gets up to give the woman a hug.

"Good, good." The waitress smiles at her, "What about you, captain?" Her hand caress Santana's arm.

"Not bad at all."

"Are you here for a visit or are you staying?"

Santana sits back next to Rachel and looks up, "Just for thanksgiving." She answers and clear her throat, "I don't know if you remember, but this is Rachel berry." She points at Rachel, then at the girls, "And those are Dani and Marley." Santana points at Kelly, "Everyone, this is Kelly. We've been together on the cheerleading squad." She says, feeling like they're a big family.

"Hello to you all." Kelly smile, her eyes linger a second too long on Rachel.

"H-Hey Kelly.." Rachel waves her hand then focuses on the menu. Rachel never got along with a lot of the Cheerios, just Santana, occasionally Quinn, and once, Brittany. Kelly was the last person Rachel really liked only because she was one of Rachel's tormenters, but it's questionable if Kelly remembers.

Marley's eyes glared at the blonde for a few moments, she wasn't a fan of her looks either, so much so that Marley kept close to Dani in a protective like manner.

Dani doesn't like it at all; it's supposed to be their first family vacation and now there's a girl all over Santana and she doesn't even see it. The teenager holds her girlfriend's hand tightly and glace between the adults.

"Well, I don't want to interrupt. So just give me your orders." Kelly mainly focuses on Santana, "And maybe we can meet up later, if you have time?"

"Ah.. I'm not sure, we have a schedule." Santana starts to feel uncomfortable. This is not something she wanted to happen, especially with the three sitting right next to her.

"Let me give you my number, in case you find some time." Kelly writes her number on a note and place it on the table, "You know what? My shift is just about to end; I'll get you a new waiter." She winks at Santana and leave.

Dani follows her with her eyes and grits her teeth, then she looks at Santana with some anger and disappointment in her eyes.

The Latina raises her eyebrow and stares at the note, "Who knew there were so many lesbians on the squad.. And I was terrified of coming out." She tries to light the mood.

Rachel growled a bit under her breath, _'Oh hell no..'_ She let out a sigh. "Yeah, who knew, makes me wonder if the old glee club had more rainbows than we realized." she harshly joked but it was the only way to make things seem like she wasn't jealous. "And where is our waiter or waitress." She asked.

"Well, I don't know if you know about those that I know about." Santana frowns, she confused herself a little. She sees how Dani looks at her and it makes her feel like shit, she really didn't mean for it to happen; she wanted to bring them to her favorite restaurant. She folds the piece of paper and opens it, starting to tear it up along the lines that were created from the fold.

Dani's relaxes as she watches Santana tear the paper and she tries to snuggle further into Marley's side. That until she remembers the talk with Rachel before they came here; she blushes and put some space between them.

"So.. Is this place like.. Great?" Marley asked, trying to break the tension that surrounds the table. "Also, thanks for having me tag along; I am really enjoying myself here." She gave a nod towards both Rachel and Santana.

"I be.. I am glad you are." Rachel smiled over at Marley and Dani._ 'Remember, Marley doesn't know that I told Dani to ease it..'_ She sighed and ran her hand through her hair. "Sorry for my outburst.. I guess it's the stress of the holidays.. It affects everyone even those who don't do anything for them." Rachel nervously laughed.

"Yeah, we're happy you're here so stop thanking us. You're a part of the family." Santana smile at the girl, "And this place is amazing, I used to eat here almost every day."  
Finally to waiter come and takes their orders, promising they won't have to wait too long for their food. He brings them a couple of baskets of breadsticks and leaves. Santana tells the girls they have to try it, but not to dare touch her basket. She eats a few and get up.  
"I'm going to fresh up a little. Rachel?" She looks at the woman and nods in the direction of the bathroom.

"I will too." Rachel gets up and starts walking towards the bathroom, wanting to just forget the fact that she got severely jealous out of nowhere. The second they get into the bathroom, Rachel leaned against one of the stalls.

"They either going to make up in a good way or have a bad fight." Dani states and lean on Marley's side.

Santana feels really bad for what happened. She steps to Rachel and wraps her arms around her waist, "I really wanted to do that." Even if it's only physical, Santana hopes it'd make Rachel feel better because that's all she can do for her.

"Why?" Rachel asked with a frown on her face. "I just.. I think today needs to be over already." She said as she looked to the floor. If she could be honest with Santana, she'd tell her how miserable she is right at this moment.

Santana starts to panic; everything about Rachel is sad and she hates it. "C'mon, Rach, it's going to be a great day! We'll go to our high school and tell the girls some stories, we can go to the park and have ice cream.." She gets closer to Rachel's ear, "Déjame ver una sonrisa en la cara bonita de la suya." Santana is almost completely sure that Rachel doesn't remember anything in Spanish, but it's still a beautiful language, so she hopes it'd do something good.

Rachel blushes like mad the second Santana makes that demand. She leans against Santana her lips close to the Latina's ear, "What do I get out if it?" She asks before biting her lip.

Santana sneaks her hands under Rachel's shirt, "You know I always reward good behavior." She starts to kiss Rachel's neck, "Maybe I should tell you something first," She presses her lips to Rachel's ear again, "Last night, I was very lonely in my bad and I had to take care of myself. Maybe I should demonstrate it." One hand moves to unzip Rachel's jeans and the other goes to her bra.

Rachel bit her lip as she grabs Santana's hands. "You would punish me if I took care of myself, what makes you think I want to reward your bad behavior?" She raised a brow as she moved back. "Gold star." She smirked. "You're lucky you are the master, so I won't be too defiant." Rachel moved Santana's hands to her chest.

"Are you sure you remember that's I'm the master here? Cause last time I checked, I could touch myself as much as I wanted." Santana winks at Rachel, "And you said your safe word, Rach," Santana cups Rachel's chest and squeeze them as she press herself, as much as she can, against Rachel, "I just wanted to make you feel good, but if you don't want it, if you think you can do a better work yourself, maybe I'll stop touching you, huh?" She nibbles her neck and move up, "Do you not want me to touch you anymore, Rach?" Her right leg press on Rachel's center and Santana starts to move back and forward.

"Mm.. I love that.." Rachel moved her hips against Santana's leg, she slowly lifts her shirt up a bit, her chest rises against Santana's hands. "But.. I am hungry, I need the energy." She let's go of her shirt and places her hand on Santana's leg. "Seriously, gold star.." She bit her lower lip.

Santana backs away to the other side of the room, feeling like her heart just broke. One night apart and she acts like she hasn't seen another human being in years. She's angry at herself for pushing, for being so needy and for losing control. But all of that chaos happens inside, because the second she heard Rachel uses her safe word and moved away, her walls came back up, stronger than before. "Yeah, we have a long day. Let's eat." Santana says and moves to leave the bathroom.

Rachel instantly felt guilty for pushing Santana away, it reminded her of her failed relationships. "I'm sorry.." She softly says before leaving the bathroom, rubbing her arm gently.

Meanwhile, at the table, the two girls were still chatting. "Well, I guess we got a weird ass family, right?" Marley joked as she held on to Dani as tight as she could. "I still can't thank you and your parents enough for allowing me to tag along, it really means that much to me." She admits happily.

Dani looks to see that Rachel and Santana still in the bathroom and cuddles Marley more, "You heard Santana, no more thank you's." She smiles at her and tell her, once again, she happy she's here.

Marley rested her head on Dani's, "Sorry.. I can't help it." She softly giggles. "It's hard not to be thankful of your families hospitality, but.. It's not as hard as not kissing your sweet lips." Marley presses her finger against Dani's hip playfully.

Dani jumps and nervously giggle at Marley's comment. It seems like the pair doesn't hurry to come back, so Dani uses the opportunity to quickly peck Marley's lips. "Well, yours are addictive, so it's harder for me." She sticks her tongue out and rests her head on the girl's shoulder.

"Keep teasing me with that tongue I am gonna lose it." Marley threatened as she lifted Dani's chin to give a soft kiss. "Thank god your parents take forever, I don't have to worry about kissing you."

"Can we please not talk about them when we kiss? Or at all right now, I don't want to think about what they're doing over there." Dani makes a disgusted face, "I do like kissing you, but I'm also crazy hungry." She looks around for their waiter.

"Sorry." Marley also looked around, "Yo! Waiter! There are two starving young girls waiting for service!" She bellowed out while using a bit of her New York attitude to back her voice. "God.. We can get better service in the Bronx.." She slouched in the booth.

* * *

The rest of the meal was a bit awkward and Santana tried to, somehow, not be so affected by what happened with Rachel in the bathroom. She had to be strong, at least for the girls. After they ate, the group drove to McKinley high. They parked and walked inside and Santana is flood with memories right away; some amazing and some not so much.

Rachel took in the familiar aroma of the school, at times she missed going to the school, she remembers over a decade ago that she first stepped foot on the grounds of McKinley. "Talk about nostalgic, right San?" Rachel asked as she spotted her old locker

"Oh, yeah." Santana smiles, "Go check, maybe you forgot something in there."

"What are you talking about m.. Rachel?" Dani blushes at her almost slip, "Any of those lockers is yours?" She looks between the women.

"This, right here." Rachel patted her hand against the locker. "This is the ol' Berry locker." She proudly admitted. "Things were simpler back then, well.. For the most part.. It's a lot easier to get over the hardships now than it was then, because we are only limited by laws." Rachel chuckled as she slid down against the locker, sitting on the floor.

Marley sat beside Rachel and looked over at Dani and Santana, "There is a weird atmosphere about this place, maybe it's just me but I kinda feel a mixture of accepted here and worried for my sanity." She pointed out.

Rachel patted Marley's head, "That's what it was like here at McKinley, and I loved it here for what it was worth. Because this is where it started for me, I met Dani's mama, I met her Auntie Porcelain, and Uncle Herbal Essences." She joked towards the end.

"Yeah.. It all started here.." 8 years have been through since Santana visited here and the last time she was here was when it was the whole mess with Brittany began. Every single memory from that time involves her and how can it not? They were inseparable. Between all the pain, Santana finds the ability to focus on friendships she had and the fun she had being head cheerleader and in the glee club. She sees the cup the cheerleaders one next to the one the glee club won the same year and smile. Her eye catches a picture of her, Quinn and Brittany celebrating and tears come to her eyes. She quickly wipes them takes a deep breath.

"And I thought high school supposed to be hell.. It sounds cool." Dani tells Rachel, not seeing that Santana wandered away, "Can we see the choir room? Maybe Santana can-" She turns around to see the woman a bit far from them, "What are you looking at, Tana?"

"Ah, nothing important.." Santana turns with a smile on her face, "Let's keep moving."

Rachel noticed Santana rather closely, she saw the tears almost right away. "Okay girls you go on ahead to the choir room, it's about 4 doors onto the right." she got up and walked to Santana.

Marley got up, took Dani's hand and walked away from the two older women, "Let's leave them alone for a bit, so they can look reminisce." she suggested as they eventually made it to the choir room.

Rachel placed her hand on Santana's shoulder "Honey.. Are you okay?" She softly asked, moving closer to her friend and seeing the pictures on the display. "Oh.."

"It's not about her, it isn't for a long time now." Santana tries to clarify, "But seeing this picture.. I lost two of my best friends.." She can't break down, not over this and not with Rachel there. She must hold it together, at least until she can see Kurt.

"You didn't lose them.. Quinn is a few hours away from us, living the married life with Puck, as for Britt.. I can't speak for her, but I can promise you, in the long run you got more out of it.." Rachel attempted to reason with her roommate, she wrapped her hands around the Latina's waist, then rest her head on Santana's shoulder. "I.." She gulped a bit,_ 'I want to say a specific three words..'_ Rachel thought in her head. "I.. I am here, I know I've said it a million and three times, but I am.. I won't ever abandon you.."

_'Britt?'_ Santana frowns,_ 'Of course my stupid brain would choose to focus on that rather the other things she said..'_ She sighs; Rachel is only trying to help and she doesn't know the whole picture. Santana is frustrated with herself for still being stuck and for hurting Rachel. Santana lifts Rachel's head so she could look her in the eyes, "Thank you." She whispers and she kisses the edge of Rachel's lips for a long moment. "The kids are alone for too long. Let's go share some stories." She takes Rachel's hand and pulls her with her.

The rest of the day went pretty good; they spent another hour at the school, telling the girls stories and walking around. From the school, the group went to buy some ice cream and walk in the park. They talked, laughed and took some pictures together; it was fun and help them bond even more. When it started to get darker and colder, the four women went back to the Berry's household; this time Santana stayed and they're about to watch a movie in Rachel's parents theater room.

Rachel made sure the girls were comfortable before taking her seat next to Santana on one of the sofas. "Hey San, you feeling any better?" she asks as she relaxes in her spot.

"Much." Santana nods, "It turns out to be a great day. Don't you think?" She crosses her legs and lean back in her chair.

"Tomorrow will be even greater, and it's all thanks to you." Rachel admits. "If you didn't push me to step up my game, I wouldn't be this close to being a mom." she blushes some due to what she said. "I know.. You don't do this kind of thing.. But.. I care a lot about you."

"I just gave you the push, you had the all potential and you did all the hard work." Santana turns her body to Rachel's side. She glances at the young couple in front of them to see that they're still busy talking to each other and takes Rachel's hand in hers, "I care too." She comes closer and nuzzle her nose on Rachel's. She smiles at the woman, let go of her hand and goes back to her previous position.

"Santana.. You are more important than you realize, you took this Broadway diva, and made her better." Rachel glanced at Dani and Marley for a few seconds to make sure they weren't listening in, then she looked back at Santana. "Every step of the way, you stayed.. You didn't have to, but you did.. That's what makes you amazing.." She shyly admits as she pushes her index fingers together.

The Latina wasn't sure what got Rachel to say all these things, but she shouldn't be surprised; she knows Rachel for years and that's how she is. "I love this girl, I'm here for her." She shrugs and send a loving look at Dani. It became so much easier for her to say those words when it's related to Dani. "We were a family even before Dani came; you, me and Kurt, we've been through a lot together and I'm who I am and where I am thanks to you. That's what best friends do, so stop it or I'll start blushing. Not that you can see it.." Santana chuckles and nudge Rachel's side.

"Well, I can't help but tell you the truth, it just happens upon seeing you." Rachel gently pinched Santana's side as she leaned towards Santana a bit more. "So.. Guess what happened today?"

"So the movie was just an excuse to keep the kids busy while we talk?" Santana giggles and shifts to a more comfortable position, "Yeah, what happened?"

"Dani called me Mom.. I know she's called me that before, but I just can't get used to it." Rachel explained and wraps her arms around Santana's waist. "Also, the movie was an excuse for me to get all close to you without them looking." She winked.

"That's not a sisterly behavior, Rach." She winks and pulls her legs on the sofa. She just couldn't let that comment Rachel made to Wade pass. She puts one arm around Rachel shoulders and her other hand on Rachel's. "That's truly amazing! I think it'd get permanent very soon with everything that's going on." She smiles and squeeze her arms a little, "She usually does it when something happens, did she get hurt or what?"

"Yesterday I was going to get the girls so they could get to know my dad's.. Well, they were on my bed.. Making out.." Rachel gulped a bit. "They didn't see me walk in on them, and I was a little nervous so I didn't bring it up till today, but I only talked to Dani about that."

Santana's face went blank and she stares a long moment at Rachel, then at the teens in front of them, "She's more like me than I thought." She shakes her head; not sure if it's a good thing or not, "So you told her she won't have a door anymore?" Santana states more than asking.

"I was thinking more of the door stays open when Marley visits." Rachel leaned her head against Santana's shoulder. "It's scary how fast kids grow, also if she's like you, then Marley will end up being the daughter-in-law for sure." She pointed out while gently stroking Santana's chest.

"That might be true, but they're 14 and it's been more than 10 years, but we both know that they won't stay on the kissing stage for long." For not being Dani's mother, Santana is very protective and worried, "She's too young for this, speaking from experience."

"What do you suppose we do? If we consistently get on their cases about this, they will do more, and get to that specific stage that we are familiar with.." Rachel sighed, she's dealt with the trials from her dads multiple times, she knows how it is.

"Home school and they can Skype?" Santana looks hopeless at Rachel, "I don't know, I need to think about it."

Rachel shrugged, "We both know how that would end up, Dani would have that rebellious attitude that you had when you were young, end up running off to Marley's house when we think she's at Kurt's." She explained as her index finger went around in a circle on Santana's shoulder. "Although.. Maybe we are a tad too worried, because this is a new generation of kids, maybe we'll be lucky with ours."

Santana looks at Rachel with an expression that says she's not buying it, "With every generation it starts earlier. I know my expectations are crazy, but she needs to at least wait a bit more.." Santana lays her head backwards, "Can we continue this talk some other time? It's too much for me to handle."

"Okay.." Rachel looks at her lap with a frown on her face. "I'm sorry, Santana.." She held onto her roommate a bit tighter, she then gently nuzzles Santana's neck as she closed her eyes.

"Why are you sorry? It's my stupid problem, it's hard for me to think about her.. Doing stuff like that.. She's just a kid." Santana says while brushing Rachel's hair.

"I brought it up, and it upset you." Rachel explained. "I wanted this day to be good, and I haven't been as good as I was hoping to be." she continued as she looked at Santana. "So the right thing to do is apologize, right?"

"It had a rocky start, but we had a lot of fun and I never seen Dani so happy." Santana isn't going to let go back to feeling bad; they had too much of it for one day. "And if someone needs to apologize, it's me, so I'm sorry." She grazes Rachel's cheek with her thumb, "Now, can we focus on the good parts?"

Rachel quickly looked over at the girls to make sure they weren't looking, then she looked back at Santana and gives her a soft kiss on the side of her lips. "Yes, ma'am." She said before biting her lower lip, smirking only slightly.

Santana raises her eyebrow and smirks, "That's not a way to kiss your sister, Rach." She says playfully. In her mind, Santana can't help but think how cute Rachel is right now.

"Says the one who tried to fuck her sister earlier today." Rachel returned the playful comment as she held onto Santana's hand.

Hearing Rachel's words makes Santana's body slightly shiver, "I did not agree with you in that matter, so I'm free to do as I please." She licks her lips. "Maybe, when the girls go to sleep, I should wash your mouth with soap; you're a mother now, you shouldn't speak like that." Santana always enjoyed their teasing, but now that it's sexual, it's way better.

"I'd prefer your tongue, but that's just me." Rachel loving their random foreplay like moments, it made her feel more at ease with life since they joke around quite a bit in a sexual manner. "I just realized that I am gonna be a 27 year old Milf.." she held onto Santana a bit tighter as she started to chuckle softly.

"First of all, I thought you're more innocent," Santana is tiny surprised to hear Rachel knows what a Milf is, "And you definitely are." She looks up and down Rachel's body, "And I just learned that I'm pretty into it.." She husks with a smile.

"I am glad you're into it, that makes what he have even better." the diva placed her hand on Santana's chest and gently grazed it. "I feel a bit tired, and I think the girls passed out, how about you and I go to the spare room that I'm sleeping in and we can cuddle.. Stark.." Rachel bit her lip and raised her eyebrows twice.

Santana presses her legs together and puts her hand on Rachel, but not really stopping her, "Do you think it's a good idea? With the kids and our parents.." She wants to stay more than anything, but doesn't want to risk it.

"We'll lock the door, and also my dads love you, like as if you were also their kid.. So I think we are safe." Rachel slowly gets off of Santana's lap, then stretches her body. "It's a big bed, and I get lonely easily, you know that."

Santana didn't get such a good night's sleep the previous night and she knows she'd get one with Rachel's there, so how can she say no? She just nods and follows Rachel.

Before Rachel left the room, she quickly walked to where the girls were lying, grabbed a blanket, then carefully covered them up. "Good night girls." she whispered, then she made her way to the door of the theater room. Rachel lead Santana to the guest room that she was sleeping in, almost instantly as she entered with Santana, she locked the door then tossed her shirt to the end of the room. Rachel had been naked around Santana many times, but each time felt like it was her first time being that way around Santana.

"I think a proper thank you for your gift is required." Santana push Rachel against the door and take off her bra and her hands moving to cup her breasts. She's pressing her legs to Rachel's center and bite her lobe before whispering, "I believe that's where we left off. Still want to use your safe word?" Her hands give Rachel's a little massage, "We can just go cuddle and sleep."

"S-San.. As much as I really want this.. You don't need to thank me.." Rachel placed one hand on Santana's shoulder, she bites down on her lip to hold back the reason she bought the earrings for Santana. "I.. I owe you more than just those earrings, Santana."

"You don't owe me anything, Rach. I was just trying to show you my appreciation." Santana pulls herself from Rachel and walks to the bed, "We have a busy day tomorrow, we better go to sleep." It's the second time today and Santana isn't going to deal with it now too. Yeah, the rejection hurts, but she gets to have Rachel next to her and that's something she missed last night.

Rachel just stood there, half naked and all, in her mind, she was curious why Santana stopped, but she didn't want to question it. She missed Santana, and she was happy Santana was there. But if she was being honest, she really was hoping for more action from Santana, Rachel shook her head, then grabbed Santana's hand. "Wait.." Rachel calmly demanded as a sudden burst of adrenaline went into the brunette, she carefully lifted Santana up a bit, then pressed her against the wall. "We both have things to be appreciative over, specifically that involves us.." She blushed a bit as she placed a soft kiss on Santana's neck.

"Well, your parents won't appreciate it if they'd hear us and I'm not sure how comfortable I am with doing it in their house." Of course Santana wants Rachel and what she told her is true, but she also confused; either she reads the woman wrong or Rachel acting weird. Having Rachel's body press against her makes it hard, especially with her lips on her neck, but she's not sure if it's a good idea anymore.

"Good point.." Rachel set Santana down, then walked over to the end of the room, picking up her shirt. "I feel embarrassed.. Completely.." She put her shirt back on and kept her eyes towards the floor. "I.. I'm sorry.." Rachel sat down on the bed, keeping her eyes away from Santana.

For a woman, Santana can't understand women; Rachel went from hot to cold twice today and now she's sad cause Santana gave her what she initially wanted. Santana swallows hard and go to stand in front of Rachel, giving it a one final chance. She unbuttons her shirt and unzipping her pants, "You'd have to be quiet." She stands vulnerable and waits for Rachel's move with a plan to how she's going to get out of there fast in case of a third rejection.

Rachel stood up, looked at Santana and walked over to her. "Do you want to?" she asked while resting her arms over Santana's shoulders. "I don't want to if you don't, I also don't want you to feel like you owe me anything.. I wouldn't have done a lot of things for you if I didn't want to.." Rachel placed a gentle kiss on Santana's lips. _'I just.. Love seeing your perfect smile..'_ She blushed a lot, as her lips traveled towards Santana's neck.

Santana pulls Rachel closer, "Oh, I do and you can check to see just how much." She holds Rachel's face and makes the girl look at her, "Do you want to? Can you be quiet?" Santana tries to smirk, but she's still nervous. Her other hand just rests on Rachel's waist.

"I wanted to all day, especially when you had me against the door." Rachel whispers into Santana's ears as her hand moves down the Latina's body, the second she feels the waist she moves her hands to Santana's back then grips ass. "Have I mentioned that I love this ass of yours?" Rachel pressed herself against Santana.

"I may have heard you mention it a few times." Santana says with her playful voice. Whatever was going on with Rachel seems to pass and Santana is going to push whatever she felt away and take Rachel. "Unfortunately, you broke a rule so I'm going to be the one who's going to do all the touching tonight." She goes back to unzipping Rachel's jeans, "Off with the shirt."

"What rule did I break?" Rachel asks as she takes her shirt off, looking at Santana with sad eyes. "What wrong did I possibly do, Mistress?"

_'Fuck, why does she have to be so adorable?!'_ Santana's hands move up to caress just under Rachel's chest, "Weren't those your lips I felt on mine?" She raises her eyebrow.

Rachel held her hands behind her back and nodded once, "Yes.." She admitted, feeling ashamed for doing that. "Only because I wanted to make sure you were okay.." Her face blushed even more the second she admitted that.

"Thank you, it was very nice of you." Santana starts with that, she doesn't want Rachel to feel bad, "But we have rules and you know that. I'm going to give you a mind blowing orgasm and you can touch me, but you can't give me one. Unless you have a suitable punishment to replace this one, then I'm willing to consider it, but if not, you better start to get undressed." She traces the marks on Rachel chest area, then takes a step back so Rachel could strip.

Rachel pushed down her pants along with her panties, she bit down on her lip as she really, really wanted Santana, and has been waiting for a couple days to be around her like this.

Santana bites her lips; she'd never get tired of seeing Rachel strip and that the woman's body. She takes off her unbuttoned shirt and her jeans, then lock eyes with Rachel. She gets closer and traces her fingers different parts of Rachel's body, "Breath taking." She whispers just an inch away from Rachel's lips, "On the bed."

Rachel crawled on the bed, she then took her glasses off and places them on the nightstand beside the bed. "I.. I did some reading online, it said that women succumb to better orgasms when they don't expect the action that causes the orgasm.." She explained nervously.

"You did.." Again, not too surprised, "You should've said it earlier, when you were making the popcorn; I would've sneaked and fuck you there. The fear of getting caught would've helped too." Santana says and stand next to the bed looking at Rachel, "How does it help you now, though?" She asks and folds her arms.

"Because the glasses are off, meaning I can't see what kind of pleasure you give me.. Which would further stimulate me" Rachel sits up, holding herself up by her elbows. "I would have told you earlier but there are 4 other people in this big-ass house that use the theater kitchen, so.. The embarrassment wouldn't be worth it."

"Hmm, I see.." Santana finds the new information interesting. She makes a note about if for the future, when they'll be at home alone. Then she straddles Rachel, "That was kinda geeky, but hot." She says and get closer to Rachel's ear, "Obviously, you can't scream and with that further stimulation, it's going to be hard, but I still want to hear you." She says and starts to kiss along Rachel's neck. One hand caressing around Rachel's right breast, while the other stroking the woman's inner thigh. Santana reaches the marked area and starts to create new ones, getting closer and closer to Rachel's left breast.

"A-Ah.." Rachel lets out as her upper body rises up against Santana's hand. The research Rachel did the night before was indeed true as she was feeling warmer than usual.

Santana's fingers get closer, she teases Rachel's entrance, but when she feels the woman moving against her, she returns them to her thigh. It's hard to not do anything with her own arousal when she feels how much Rachel needs her. Santana, still with her lingerie on, starts to slowly move her lower parts against Rachel's leg. She bites a bit harder and moves her finger back to tease Rachel some more.

Feeling waves of arousal, Rachel lost some of her balance, laying her arms across the bed as she gave soft moans towards Santana. 'Oh F-Fuck..' she thought while moaning.

"Oh, God, Rach!" She moans against Rachel's body, not sure if it's because how good she feels or what she feels when she enters Rachel with two fingers. She thrust faster and faster and kiss her way back to Rachel's neck.

Rachel moves her hips at the same pace as Santana's thrusting, she wraps one leg around Santana out of pure impulse. "S-San.." she continues to moan out, her muscles tensing up from what Santana was doing to her.

Hearing her name comes out of Rachel's mouth with a time dripping from desire, Santana moves her fingers fast. The hand that on Rachel's chest now squeezing it and Santana starts to kiss Rachel jaw line. She's close to her own climax, so she slows down; Rachel is first. Always.

Her breathing becoming sharper, faster, and lengthier; Rachel was fighting the urge to not release, she couldn't just yet, but Santana's fingers were working her like fucking magic. "Oh.. Mmm.. H-Harder.." She pleaded.

Santana does just what Rachel asked her and moves as fast and as hard as she can. Feeling Rachel, hearing her, seeing her; it almost pushes her over the edge. Her body slowly rides Rachel's leg. She kisses and bite her neck, moaning and humming as she does.

"Fuck.." Rachel moaned out as her hips move faster than Santana's fingers, her body shaking with every thrust and movement between the two. Rachel's hands pressing more against the Latina's back as she rolls her eyes "S-San.. San!" she moans out, pressing her body up against Santana's as she releases, her lower body moving and her eyes forming tears from how great she feels. "F-F-..Fuck.." She moans as her grip tightens.

Santana hurries to capture Rachel's lower lip with her teeth, to stop her from moaning louder. She watches closely, amazed all over again at how beautiful Rachel is. Santana let Rachel ride her orgasm and let go of her lip. She can't hold it any longer and let the release take over, "Si! Si! Rachel!" She moans in the woman's ear and collapse on top of her, panting.

Rachel's body was still shivering, but was she ever satisfied. She ran one hand up and down the spine of the Latina's spine, her fingers pressed against the bumps she felt. "Oh my god.." She was able to utter.

"Mmm.." Santana whispers in Rachel's ear and kiss her temple. She takes off her bra and soaked underwear and throws them aside. Santana brushes her nose on Rachel's and leans on her side, "Turn, babe. Tired, let's sleep." She mumbles softly and hugs Rachel's body even before the girl moved.

Rachel turned her body, making sure Santana was holding her from behind. Her eyes slowly closed, her hand slowly feels for Santana's, the second she finds it, she places her fingers within the spaces of Santana's fingers. "I.. Love you..." She falls asleep.

* * *

**Even longer chapter than the usual :) Tell us what you think about Rachel & Santana and Marley & Dani and if you liked this one.**

**Translate:**

Mija = my daughter.

Dios mio = my God.

Lo siento = I'm sorry.

Déjame ver una sonrisa en la cara bonita de la suya = let me see a smile on the pretty face of yours.

Si = yes.

**'till next time.**


	11. Chapter 11 - Part II

**Co-writing with Newphewsnixx.**

**Make sure you don't take any breaks while reading this one!**

**Part II**

* * *

Santana left rather quickly, reason? Oblivious to Rachel, throughout the day she would text Santana to see how she was doing, but Santana didn't respond, and when she and Dani would talk, Santana would hang up the phone before it got to Rachel._'What did I do wrong?'_ She thought while getting ready to leave for Santana's place, and Rachel was hoping to get some answers from the Latina, or at least acknowledgement. Hiram and LeRoy left before the girls to prepare the food for the dinner; Marley was watching TV with Rachel while Dani got showered and dressed, the one good thing outside spending time with the girls, was the marathon of FRIENDS Thanksgiving specials. When Dani was ready, Rachel got up, turned off the TV, then took her and the girls out of the house and over to her car. Ironically, her car is a minivan.

Santana spent the day helping her mom in the kitchen and cleaning the house, she even managed to squeeze a short work out in. Anything to distract her. She had a long shower and took her time getting ready. She put on a red dress with matching heels and some jewelries, then did her makeup and straightened her hair, pulling half of it up. When she placed back the perfume on the table, Santana heard the doorbell and got nervous. She took a deep breath and walked to open the door.

"Hey, girls." Santana says with a smile.

"Hey, Santana." Dani gives her a quick hug, "I decided to wear the last outfit we talked about. What do you think?" She asks nervously. It's time to meet Santana's mother and she wants to make a good impression.

"You look great, honey." Santana holds Dani hand and looks at the girl next to her, "My mom is going to love you even more!" She turns to look at Marley and leaves Dani's hand, "You look beautiful, Marley."

Dani blushes and tightens her hold and Marley's hand, mumbling a thank you towards Santana.

Rachel kept her distance from the group; as much as she wanted to know what she did wrong, she didn't want to make Santana hate her. Now Rachel was feeling almost similar to how she felt back in high school, she looked over at the kitchen to see her dads checking the food to make sure it was made right, she chuckled softly at the various comments they made towards each other.

"Rachel!" Maribel called out happily which startled the brunette. "It's great to see you." She said.

Rachel turned to the older woman, smiling at her in the process. "Hi Mrs. Lopez, you look lovely today." Rachel complimented as she bowed in respect.

Santana walks the girls to the where her mother stands, "Momma, I'd like you to meet Dani, the amazing girl that lives with us, and Marley." She says proudly and looks between them, then glance at Rachel for a second.

Dani gulps and reaches her hand, "H-Hello Mrs. Lopez." Her other hand doesn't leave Marley's.

Maribel took a close look at both the young girls, but focused a bit more on Dani; she gently cupped the pink haired girl's face. "They said you were adorable, but never said how adorable." She chuckled. "Hello Dani, I'm Maribel, or you can call me Nana." she let go of Dani's face then looked at Marley. "How old are you, hon?" She asked.

"I...I turn 15 in a week." Marley answered, now feeling very nervous around the other women. "Why do you ask, Mrs. Lopez?"

Maribel raised an eyebrow, "You're tall for a teen girl." she pointed out, and then looked at Santana, "Seriously, she has to be at least 6 feet." Maribel jokes, but only slightly.

"I am only 5'8, I may not even grow past this size.." Marley backed away a few steps.

"Honey, she was kidding, I promise." Rachel pats Marley's shoulder, comfortingly. "But you are tall for your age, I have to admit that."

"Mom, let them be." Santana giggles and puts her arm around Marley's shoulder, "Don't worry, Marls, I got you. We, tall people, need to stay together." She winks.

Dani feels a little more relaxed, but she knows Marley isn't, so she grazes her thumb on her girlfriend's and smile.

"Ok, before mom is going to start with the embarrassing stories," She knows the woman too well, "You can go watch TV and we'll call you when it's time to eat." She tells them and walks over to give Dani a kiss on the cheek.

Rachel looked over at Santana, "Hey.." She gently waved in Santana's direction; she then let her hand down and kept her eyes focused on the floor.

"Rachel, vuestros padres y yo necesito ayuda resolviendo lo que estás dispuesto a comer." Maribel called out, and then she began to assume Rachel didn't understand her, "Rachel, we nee-"

"Ahora, la señora Lopez." Rachel turned towards the kitchen and started to walk towards that direction.

Hiram gave Maribel a look of derision "I told you she knew Spanish." He gave a smirk towards the older Latina.

Santana's head snaps at Rachel's direction and she blushes; it appears to be that Rachel does remember the language and that she understood the things Santana said in the last few days. The young Latina made sure the girls are set in the living room and made her way to the kitchen; a small smile appears on her face when her eyes catch Rachel's. She ignores the pain in her chest and moves to lean on the wall.

"What can I do?" Santana asks and scratch her arm, her eyes fixed on her mother.

"Check the turkey for me, dear?" Maribel asks while chopping carrots "Also see if the little and tall girl are thirsty, I made sure to pick up a couple varieties of soda just in case." She explained as she slides the chopped carrots from the cutting board, to the pot of boiling water.

Rachel gave a slight glance at Santana, her face lit up quite a bit, _'God.. She looks amazing..'_ She bit her lower lip as she changes her focus back on the food.

"One of those girls is like your grandchild and the other will, in the distant future, will join the family too. Try to call them by their names, you're not senile yet." Santana rolls her eyes and chuckles as she walks to the oven. She sees that the turkey is fine and moves to grab a few glasses and soda from the fridge.

"So when did you and Rachel tie the knot?" Maribel asks sarcastically.

Rachel nearly fell after that comment, "N-No, no. We aren't married or together in that sense, as much as everyone wants that, they can't have it." Rachel walked out of the kitchen as fast as she could.

Santana nods, "You heard her." She says and goes to the living room. The pain spreads to her stomach and her whole body tense up. She gets to the living room and sees Dani and Marley cuddling on the couch and that's causing her to warm up a bit. "Hey, love birds. Brought you something to drink." She place the bottles and glasses on the table, "Just a warning, you might think I'm strict when it comes to you, two, locking lips, but my mother is even worse." Santana gives them a serious look and tries not to laugh at their scared faces. She leaves them when she hears a knock on the door. With a confused look, Santana goes to open it.

"Oh Dios mío! Leo!" Santana yells, her body fills with happiness. She jumps on her brother and hugs him as tightly as she can.

"Hola, sis. Missed me much?" He laughs, drops his bags and pulls his sister closer.

Santana runs her hands on his body to make sure he's there and he's alright. "What are you doing here? How.."

"I wanted to surprise you." Leo simply states.

Santana pushes him, then hugs him again, "You don't look so bad with that beard." She tries to act like they normally act around each other, but she hasn't seen Leo in a long time and she missed him like crazy.

Leo chuckles, "Shut up, everyone knows I got the good genes." He pats his little sister's hair, "Now, I've heard we have company, can I meet them?"

Santana blushes and nods. They enter the house and Santana close the door, then takes her brother to the living room. "Hey, girls, I want you to meet my older broth, Leo." She smiles and turns to look at her brother while pointing at the girls, "Leo, these are Dani and Marley."

"'Sup, girls?" He smiles and the similarity between the Lopez siblings is so clear at the moment. "As you can see, I got the all the beauty and I got all the coolness."

"Ugh, shut up, idiot." Santana giggles and nudge his side.

Dani watches the interaction between the two and relax. She wasn't expecting to meet Santana's brother, but she's happy to; Santana told her so many funny and heroic stories about him. And for some reason, she feels comfortable in his present. "Hi, nice to meet you." She smiles at him.

"You too, kiddo."

Marley raised a brow towards the older sibling, "If my brother Elliot was here, I am sure he would gush over you." She pointed out while she takes her jacket off. "Also, it's almost like we are looking at a parallel, only because you two look so similar."

"Oh, mi niño!" Maribel called out as she quickly ran to Leo, holding onto her first born. "Te extrañé tanto!" She says happily. "How was the plane ride?"

Rachel slowly moved out of the kitchen, she walked over to where Dani and Marley were sitting at. She kept her eyes away from Santana as much as she could.

"Mama!" Leo wraps his arms around his mother, "It was fine and I missed you too." They were always a close family and after their father died, they only grew closer. Leo let go of his mother and looks back at the soft, "Young lady, you need to take it back. I look nothing like this thing next to me." He jokes and gets a smack on the head.

"_This thing_ gets more girls than you can dream of. You wish to be hot as me." Santana place her hand on her hip and sticks her tongue out.

Leo turns to her with a smirk on his face, "I've heard you've settled down." He then looks at Rachel, "Is it Mrs. Lopez now or still Rachel?" He steps closer and reach his hand.

Santana's face heats up and her heart beats so fast, she's sure it's going to jump of chest. "Leo!" She doesn't know who to look at. That's the last thing she needs right now.

Rachel pursed her lips, then patted Leo's shoulder gently, "No." She raised a brow then smiled. "It's nice to see you too Leo, are you going to come to New York this Christmas?" Rachel gave a hug to Leo.

"Hey, all the kids gather round the table, din-din is ready!" Hiram called out towards the rest of the party.

Maribel walked to Hiram and patted his shoulder, "Don't charm me yet, Berry." She said with all the confidence she had in her body and then some.

Hiram raised a brow "I can tell where Santana gets it from." He turned to grab the pot of corn that was currently boiling, placed it on an oven coil that wasn't on.

If Dani thought Leo is kinda cool, now she loves him. That comment was the second best thing that happened to her this trip, after her and Marley's kissing session, of course. She smiles at Marley and walks with her to the table.

"Is that an invitation? Because I have a few months at home, I'd love to spend some time with my sister and her family." He speaks in a playful tone.

"Leo, I swear I'll shave your legs again!" Santana glares at him from her seat at the table. Things are bad enough, she doesn't need her brother to make it worse.

"Shut it." He tell Santana and looks at Rachel, "I know you have a small apartment, I can afford a hotel room; that way you can, also, come there and enjoy it." He offers with a warm smile and pulls the chair for Rachel.

Rachel bit her lip to try and contain the laughter, "Uhm, we usually celebrate it at our friend Kurt's, Santana and I maybe awesome cooks when we get the chance, but Kurt and Blaine top us with their bakery skills." She scooted the chair right under her, then sat down. "But if Santana is cool with it, I don't see a problem with you spending Christmas with us." She shrugged as her dad sets the vegetarian plate, of which Rachel picked what goes on it, in front of her.

"Mijo, you know how Santana gets when she has weapons in her hands, I don't want anything to happen to you." Maribel ruffles Leo's hair before taking her seat.

"Like a Drill Sargent being mutilated from a tactical fork and knife assault." Hiram joked as he sat down at the table with everyone else.

Rachel was drinking water when he said that, she grabbed a napkin to prevent much of her drink to go through her nose. "D-Dad!" She glared over at Hiram.

"Honey!" LeRoy holds back his giggles. "Not near the kids.." He glances at Dani and Marley and relax when he sees that they have no idea what's going on.

"He's right, you know. Be careful, brother." Santana smirks as she places food on her plate. "And you can come, but we're going to spend all the time in the hotel, I hope you know that. I'm your little sister, you need to spoil me."

Leo pours himself something to drink and downed it, "Your wife is so nice. What is she doing with you, I don't know." He shakes his head at his sister and continue to talk to Rachel, "It'd be fun; I have some stories that the kids would, maybe, like to hear. Don't worry, nothing graphic or sad." He takes a few bites from his food, "And you, all, can show me the city."

Rachel clenched her silverware tightly as the consistent comments about her and Santana being together continues, she shakes her head, "On second thought, I think I may have a class or two on Christmas, and I can't cancel it." She says in as polite of a voice as she could do.

"I'm sure we can find an evening or two when you'd be available." Leo grabs the napkin and clean his mouth, "I'll buy you all dinner. Come on, you can't let a soldier down." His smile looks almost exactly like Santana's.

"I can if he acts sexist.." Rachel mumbles under her breath as she took a bite of her food, her eyes on occasion glare at Leo, then over at Santana. "I don't think so, Leo.. Holidays are one of the busiest times of the year, and families come in out of nowhere wanting some quick lessons here and there."

Santana knows Rachel far too well and if she won't shut her brother, it'd end up badly. "Just eat your food, Leo! We'll talk about it later." She glares at him, then soften her look when she moves her eyes to Rachel, "He's an idiot, don't mind him." She tells her with a smile. She really doesn't want to see Rachel upset, even with what she feels now.

Leo frowns, but nods, "I'm sorry." He tells Rachel and glance at his sister, then continues to eat.

Rachel slammed her silverware on the table, then stood up. "No, honey, I am sorry. I am sorry for expecting myself to have my own kid, that lives with me and my best friend and _not _having people ask questions." She walked away from the table, carefully taking her jacket off the coat rack. "Or maybe I should be sorry because I lost my appetite, and suddenly don't feel hungry anymore." She stormed over to the kitchen to grab her purse, then she walked back. "Maybe, Santana I should be sorry for being like everyone else that wants us together, an idiot! Because lately I have been feeling like a jackass, you up and leave in the morning, you don't even say Happy Thanksgiving to me, and I see your glares in my direction!"

Dani drops her fork and starts at Rachel, her lips starts to quiver; she had it too good, the fighting had to come at some point. She clutches Marley's hand tightly and tries to not shiver and drags attention to herself. She never saw Rachel likes this and she's scared.

Santana's first reaction is to look at Dani's direction, she catch just the beginning of a, what can turn to, panic attack. But Rachel's tone and words cut deep and cause her emotional mess to get more complicated. She really doesn't want to do it in front of their families, or at all for that matter, and she doesn't want everyone to know their business. But it's a little late for that. Santana gets up, looks quickly around the table, then settle on Rachel, "It's neither the time nor the place, Rachel."

"It's never the time or place with you, and I am honestly getting tired of it." Rachel crossed her arms, giving a glare towards Santana's direction, "I have, for nearly a decade sat around you and took what you said, then when we lived together, I helped took care of you _both _times Brittany dumped you, then when Kurt moved out, I stayed for you, because I knew I needed you and you need me.. Now tell me.. When are you gonna fess up and admit that you do feel for me Santana? We have had a lot of special encounters, and it's killing me more and more, that I have to tell people that you and I aren't you and I.."

The dominate emotion Santana is feeling is anger, lots of anger. "Did I or didn't I tell you how it's going to be? What _we _are going to be? I was very clear about it." She clenches her jaw, then takes a deep breath, "You want to let it all out? Fine, let's go outside." She backs from the table and her chair falls, "Mom, cuidar de los niños." She says. Santana takes a few steps towards the door, then looks at Rachel, waiting for her to make a move.

Rachel took a few steps to the door, she continued her glare at Santana as she opens the door and walks out with her arms crossed. "What?"

"You're asking me?! You were the one listing everything you did for me and you seem to have a better knowledge of my feelings." Santana tries to control her tone and to keep her emotional walls steady. "I told you there won't be anything else!"

"Tell me why! I deserve an answer.. You know I would love you, cherish you, and give you all of that romantic bullshit that over half of our DVDs' explain to us!" Rachel's eyes forming tears.

Santana does have her walls up and she wasn't going to let anything in or out, but she also wasn't going to hurt Rachel more by telling her that she already knows how Rachel feels; she well aware that she wasn't supposed to hear what Rachel said last night. "I don't do relationships and I don't want or need any of this shit!" Her body feels like it's on fire. There's a part of her that want to comfort Rachel, but it's nothing compares to how determined she is about not open up again.

"Why?!" Rachel took a deep breath, her fists clench and her muscles tense up. "When can I be good enough for Santana 'Lima Heights Adjacent' Lopez?" She asks as her body shakes quite a bit.

"Why?! Because last time I fell in love, I was all in, I put my heart on the line.." Santana didn't think before speaking, because if she did, she'd never tell Rachel that piece if information that only Kurt knows, "I was ready to propose. And what happened?! Yeah, my heart was crushed into dust. And I don't give a shit about her now, but it scarred me and I've learned my lesson." Her plan to let Rachel get everything out, then leave, was a fail. With one on her stomach and the other pointing around, Santana loses control and acts like she did before the move to NYC, "And you? You need to find someone that can give you what you want. Cause you can't fix me!"

In a swift movement, Rachel took the necklace that Santana bought for her, then threw it in her direction. "Give that to someone who is willing to be your idiot whore.. I'm done trying anymore, I'm going back to my old way of living, and Dani and I will move out of your life.." She walked back inside, tears going down "D-Dani.. Marley.. Get your coats on.. We're going home tonight.."

Santana wanted to stop Rachel, to tell her she can't leave, that she can't take Dani from her. Instead, Santana just stares at the broken necklace on the ground with her palms clenched. That's what was doomed from the beginning and Santana was just stupid to succumb to Rachel's pleading and to her need. What just happened between them was everything Santana was scared of; from losing more people she cares for to another heart break. Santana went inside, as well, "You know what?! I don't give a fuck! And you're being unfair," She lowers a tone a little and grabs Rachel's wrist, "You.." She had so much to say, but only had enough strength for one issue, "I won't leave her. I won't let you take her out of my life." The tears burn Santana's eyes, but she won't cry there. "Have a good life!" She let go of Rachel's hand. Santana gives Dani a long look before taking her car keys and leaving.

Dani heard the yelling from outside, but couldn't understand what they were saying due to everyone trying to distract her. But then Rachel walked in crying, telling them they need to go. When Santana came, looking as hurt, Dani was shaking. She held on Marley so tight and gave in to her tears. She watches Santana leave and could only say one word, "Mom?" With that, she asks everything and begs Rachel for answers and comfort.

Rachel was instantly broken, her heart was nearly nonexistent at this point. "B-Baby.. We need to leave.. I can't be here..." She said as she slid down against the wall, hugging her knees as tight as she could.

LeRoy looks at his husband and they both nod, "Maribel, thank you for having us, the food was great." He tells her, knowing look on their faces, "Let's go kids. You're going to have the old folks." He smiles at Dani and Marley and walks to Rachel, "Honey, I know it hurts, but stay strong just a little longer." He hugs her tightly and kisses her head.

Dani looks around at everyone's faces, then at her mom and how broken she looks. It hurts Dani and she just wants to cry and hug Rachel. She wishes to go back in time, to be back home when everything was good. She and Marley stands and she nods towards Rachel and sniffs.

Hiram gently moved Dani and Marley towards the door "Let's go to the cinema, I hear the Wicked movie got good reviews." he suggested as he and LeRoy took the girls out of the Lopez household.

Maribel looked over at Leo, "Leo, a buscar una bebida fría para Rachel. Ahora." She calmly demanded as she walked over to Rachel, kneeling before her. "Honey, I am.." She gulps and frowns, "I'm lost for words.." Maribel gently grazed Rachel's knee. "I know this is the last thing you want to hear but, please don't quit on Santana, te ama más de lo que está dispuesta a admitir." The older Latina explains.

Rachel sniffed once "What should I do about this, hm?" She asked while looking towards Maribel. "What should I do about the shards Santana left in my chest?"

"Hon, you know why Santana can't.."

"I'm not Brittany, I can return any feeling she wants." Rachel's lips quiver as more tears form on her face.

Leo comes back with soda and hand it to Rachel, along with some tissues. He put the soda next to Rachel and her the tissues. He's not sure what he can do, but it's too heartbreaking and he feels like he needs to say something. "We don't know each other well, or at all, but I've heard my sister talk about you and how her face lit up every time." He crouches, but keeps his distance, "She's my sister and I love her, but she's screwed up when it comes to relationships; she's scared of loosing people, to be vulnerable, to open up again. With you she can be happy, what just happened here was her getting so fucking scared that she lashed out." He speaks softly, not wanting to cause more damage, "She thinks she's protecting both of you by pushing you away. I'm not telling you what to do, because I can't even imagine how hard it is for you, but think about it."

"I'm damaged too.." Rachel grabbed the soda, takes a sip of it. "But I really.. I love her, like legitimate love, not the sisterly love, or the B.F.F love.. She's the only person I felt this passionate about." She tries to explain but she shakes her head. "I feel stupid, but part of me loved her for a long time.. I first met her back in high school, and the first thing that played in my head was how beautiful she was.." Rachel's voice was soft, broken, but confident at the same time.

"So don't give up just yet." He places his hand on her knees for a second, "You had a huge fight, if she'd see that after that you're not giving up on her, maybe she'll feel safer to try. But you're hurt as well, so I'm not expecting you to find her and talk to her, just be there and let her come to you." He sits down and pulls his legs to his chest, "I'm not good at relationship advices, sorry if it suck. But if it's worth something, I'm rooting for you and I think you can get through it and be happy."

"I just.. I don't know.." Rachel rubbed her eyes. "I don't think I will move, I can't do that to my daughter, she loves her Mama and would be devastated if I took her away." She sniffled once. "Yeah.. But I still.. I don't.."

"Rachel, go back to your dads, relax, and take time to sleep. If you need us, you know where we live." Maribel gently rubbed Rachel's head. "Leo, come help me clean up." She requested before standing up to leave to the kitchen.

Rachel slowly got up, picking up her soda in the process. "Thank you Leo.. And Uh.. Sorry about.. You know.." She nervously bit her lip.

"You'll be fine, I'm sure." He gets up, "And like mom said, we're here for you. You're good driving home?"

"Yeah, thank god my car has an iPod hook up or else I'd be doomed." The brunette joked as she turned to walk to the door. "Happy Thanksgiving, by the way."

"Happy Thanksgiving.." He says after her and close the door, then walks to help his mother.

* * *

How Santana got to the pub without running anyone over or crash into a tree, is a mystery. She sat in the her car for about fifteen minutes, sobbing and hitting the wheel. Then she wiped her face, fixed her makeup and got out of the vehicle. Santana went into the pub and sat in the empty seat on the right end of the bar. She ordered shot after shot after shot. No one dared to get close to her, the expression on her face was enough to scare those who thought they had a chance. Santana hoped if she'd fill her body with alcohol she'll forget Rachel and how she made her feel, how she makes her body warm up just by being in the room, how she can't stop thinking about her. She wanted to forget there is a young girl in the picture that needs her and that she loves so much. She wanted to erase those moments when they were like a family, when she felt loved and protected with Rachel sleeping in her arms. And she wanted to get that picture of Rachel face when they were fighting, out of her mind, together with everything that was said. Hours passed by and Santana kept drinking and ignoring calls. At some point Santana unlocks her phone and dial a number.

"Dad I am telling you, there is nothing wrong with wearing a little make up to remove the age wrinkles on your face for your campaign." Kurt explained to his dad when his phone started to ring. "Just a sec, dad." He walked over to his phone and saw the listing of_'Satan'_ calling him. He picked his phone up and answered it "Hey Satan, I almost forgot your number wasn't 666.. So what's up?"

"I tore her number, I tore a blonde chick's number and I'm stuck in fucking Lima!" Santana hiccups and takes another shot, "And I don't even wanna call her! But what am I suppose to do, huh?! And it's kinda funny you're the only one I can call." She starts to giggle and lays her head on the bar.

"You know, I never understood your obsession with blondes, it's kinda.. Weird." Kurt pointed out as he walks into his old room, then sits down on his bed. "Ms. Santana Lopez, are you drunk?"

"I love blondes! Well, I used to love a blonde.. But now, because of her, I don't know what my type is anymore." Santana frowns, "I'm j-just t-tipsy, a tiny, little, bit. Not drunk." She makes circles on the bar with her index finger.

"Let me guess, you and Rachel are on bad terms? Again?" Kurt asks in a sarcastic tone. "Where are you?"

"Fuck you, Kurt! Why did you have to say it?!" She glares at her phone and calls for the barman to bring her another shot, "It's nice here, I think I'll stay here for a little longer; nowhere to go to anyway, she left and took my kid with her."

"Wait, are you serious?" His eyes widened the second he heard that. "Santana, where are you." Kurt stood up and started to walk out of his room, and to the front door. "Dad, Blaine, I'm going out real quick, shouldn't be too long." He grabbed his keys then left the house. "There are only like 4 bars in this town, make it easy on me, Lopez."

"Dunno.. It's dark." Santana shrugs, "I left home, drove like a minute and got here."

"I think I know where you're at then.." Kurt got in his car, placed his phone on the dock, started the car then hit a button on his phone to make it hands-free. "I'm gonna pick you up, as much as I want to convince my dad to use a bit of make up on his face, you're more important than that. Well, not more than my dad, but more than my wants.. I think you get it." He said as he started to drive.

"I don't understand half of what you say when I'm sober, so I'm sure have no clue what you want now, Lady lips." She rolls her eyes, not sure why she even called him in the first place, "And I'm good, I think I'll move here. This seat is comfy."

Kurt gave out a sigh as he took a turn "I don't care if you think you're good, I don't want anything bad to happen to you." His voice lowered a bit when he said that. Deep down he has a lot of love for Santana, despite the consistent jabs they send each other's way, he wouldn't want to live in a world without making and taking jabs with his best friend. "Is that understood?"

"Whatevs.. You could buy me a drink for not seeing me for a couple of days."

A soft chuckle escaped "It's not like you made attempts to see me either, honey." Kurt pulled into a parking lot, seeing an empty spot near Santana's car. "I am here, surprisingly, it didn't take long.. I'll see you inside." He said before hanging up. Kurt got out of the car, taking his phone with him. He walked into the bar and looked around for a familiar Latina. _'Where are you Satan..'_

Santana stares at her phone, her eyes begin to tear up. She puts the device on the bar and waits for another shot.

Kurt looks over at the bar and sees Santana, he quickly walks to her, then sits in the seat next to her. "Howdy, Lopez." He greeted as he turned to look at her. "You okay?"

"Kurt!" She brushes some tears away and hugs him tightly, "I thought you hung up on me." She frowns at him. Santana lets him go and sits back on her stool, "I'm just having some drinks , you know.." She hiccups and smiles at the barman as he brings her a shot.

Kurt takes the shot and pours it on the floor. "You're good." He said in a stern voice. "Talk to me, why is Rachel taking Dani away?" Kurt grabbed Santana's hand, grazing the back of her hand with his thumb.

With hearing her name, Santana feels a pinch in her chest and slightly pushes Kurt, "Why do you have to bring her up?! She left, after she made me fall for the kid! So fuck her!" She yells at his face.

"Because I fell for the kid too!" Kurt snapped back at Santana "If Rachel leaves with Dani, you won't be the only one affected.." His voice was slightly shaky. "What in the fuck happened?" It was rare that Kurt would drop the _f_ bomb for anything, unless it was something serious.

"She snapped at dinner and we had a fight. She said she'd take D and get out of my life. Who she thinks she is?! I always knew she'll leave, but I won't let her take Dani." Santana doesn't care anymore about the tear streaming down her face, she hurts too much.

Kurt frowned, "Santana.. I want you to answer honestly.. Did.. Are.. You and Rachel... What were you?" He felt reluctant to ask but he needed to know for sure. "Over the past couple months Dani and I saw the looks you two would exchange.."

"We.. We had something. I told her it's not a good idea, I told her!" Santana hit her fist on the bar, "But no, I had to get addicted.. And she had to have feelings."

"And then you.. Had the same feelings." Kurt saw the pain in Santana's eyes as she explained this to him. "But because of what happened with you and Britt.. You can't force yourself to try again, you're scared that Rachel will do what Brittany did." He bit his lower lip and frowned some more.

Santana looks at Kurt with sad eyes, "She said I love you, Kurt. I don't know if she thought I was asleep or didn't mean to say it aloud, but I heard it." She puts her hands on the bar and rest her hand on them, "I can't do it again."

Kurt held back a few tears, he has yet to feel this sad since he took care of Santana during her last break up. "Then don't." He traced his hand against the Latina's back. "Don't go back into what you had with Brittany, with Rachel.. Instead, make what you have with Rachel, better."

"Are you freaking serious?! We have nothing; the little we had is over." She glares at him, then back down, "I had it good before she..She was my best friend, I think it's time for me to understand I need to stick with gay males as friends.."

"I think it's time for your head to be removed from your ass." Kurt gave Santana a look of derision. "You two have a kid, who wants you two together, probably as much as you both want to be together.. If not, more." He crossed his arms and kept his eyes on Santana. "What happened with Britt sucked, but that was also a while ago." He pointed out. "You're not getting younger Satan, soon we'll be in our 30's then our 40's. and you will question your reasoning behind pushing probably the best thing in your life away." Kurt pressed on. "That big nosed bitch that you had a fight with, just wants you. Not your tits, or ass, or sex, she just wants Santana _fucking _Lopez.."

"No," Santana gets up and holds the bar because she's dizzy, "She wants love, she wants a family and she needs someone to give it to her. I'm not that person." She corrects Kurt, "I used to torment her for years, we still have arguments and when we fight it's always big and harsh. Now she's in love with me? Until when?" Santana chuckles and shakes her head, making her way pass Kurt.

"Since the first day of high school.." Kurt said out loud so Santana could hear it. "Rachel never wanted me to say this to you.." He gulped a bit. "But, uh.. She was always into you, but you were the popular chick, she wasn't." He walked in front of Santana.

Santana freeze in her place and her eyes locks with Kurt's. His words replaying in her head over and over again. Her lips start to quiver and she doesn't know what to do or think. She feels like the little strength she had to hold her walls up is gone and now she's lost. "I d-don't know what to do." She admits.

Kurt sighs "Come on, you're gonna crash at my place. I don't trust you alone." He wrapped his arm around Santana's shoulder. "I'll make you some tea and.." Kurt rolled his eyes, "I'll tell Blaine to sleep in the guest room, because I know how you like my beds." He looked at Santana with a slight smile.

"Don't make me say that it's not the bed that I like." She wraps her arms around him and feels a little better.

Kurt chuckles softly, "Don't worry sweetie, Auntie Porcelain will take care of you." He joked as they left the bar.

* * *

The next morning, Kurt sat against his bed, dialing Rachel's number, then he presses the phone up to his ear. _'Please, Berry.. Answer.'_ He gulped.

"Hello?" Rachel answered sleepily.

"Hey, Rachel. Did I wake you?" Kurt asked with a smile on his face. "I hope I didn't, I am just happy to hear your voice right now." He expressed.

"N-No, I actually haven't slept much.. I made my dads go with me to do some Christmas shopping. I got Dani, Marley, Elliot, and Santana some cool things." Rachel explained before taking a sip of her coffee.

"That's great, how are the kids by the way?" Kurt asked as he crossed his legs.

"Marley and Dani are fine, they woke up a couple hours ago, and they are getting last minute play time with my dads." She explained some more

Kurt chuckled, "Wow, that's pretty cool.. Say, about San.." He was nervous for what he was getting himself into, "I need to know what happened with you two.. I found Santana at a bar last night, drunk out of her mind." Kurt in a way lied, but it wasn't like it was a bad lie, it was just something that he figured it'd be safer to go that route so he can hear Rachel's side of this whole ordeal.

Silence surrounded the conversation for a few moments, "I fucked up, Kurt.." She confesses, "I told Santana that I loved her, two nights ago." Rachel continued followed by a sigh. "I've been in a weird.. Relationship with her, not girlfriends.. But Master and Pet kind of relationship." Rachel's voice was a tad shaky. "She said no, she told me I couldn't handle it. I told myself I could, and for awhile I did.. But the more I thought about it, the more I felt.. Dead.."

"D-Dead?"

"The relationship that Santana and I had was going to die out.. So I figured that maybe before it does.. I would fight for something that I knew she wanted but never got." Rachel sniffled some. "Santana deserves happiness and I took it away from her because.. Like typical Rachel Berry, I'm selfish.."

"Rachel.. That does not make you selfish.. That makes you passionate for the one you love." Kurt in an attempt to comfort his friend. "W-What else happened, honey?"

".. I told Santana I was taking Dani and that we were leaving.." Rachel didn't want to relive that statement, but she didn't want to lie to Kurt, not anymore.

Kurt wished that he didn't hear that, he wished so much that Santana was exaggerating. "Were you serious..?" He was worried, and rightfully so. It's been awhile since Kurt connected with anyone on a sibling like level that he had with Dani, even if he was considered the aunt, he had that special bond with her that he doesn't normally have with others.

"..No, I wouldn't do that to Santana or Dani.. Even if my heart is damn near gone." Rachel held her chest for a few moments, thinking about the various times that she and Santana would cuddle after the sessions, all the times they complimented each other, and it was something Rachel loved more than anything. "I promise, I won't go anywhere.. Well, except for back home, which by the way, what time do we need to meet up in Cleveland?" She asks.

"Around 5:30 due to the holiday reservations.. Which, sorta, sucks, we won't be home 'til almost 2 in the morning." He got up from the floor then stretched for a few seconds. "Rachel, I hope you know that no matter what, Blaine, Dani, Marley, pretty much everyone still loves you. Even Santana, despite her not always acting it."

Rachel nearly broke down, "Y-Yea.. Hey, I'm gonna go.. I need to make sure everything got packed.." She said as she walked towards the door to her guest room. "I'll see you at the station.. Bye."

"Bye." Kurt hung up and sighed to himself. _'Mr. Hummel-Anderson... What in the hell are you going to do?'_

Santana is sitting on the Hummel's porch, drinking a big mug of coffee with her eyes closed. It's pretty cold outside and Santana hates it, but she needs some air. The previous day was rough and cuddling with Kurt wasn't like cuddling with Rachel, but it was comforting and helped her sleep for a few hours. She feels lucky that she and Kurt became so closed; he's an amazing person and like a second brother to her. Now, on the porch, Santana wishes the drunkenness would've stayed a little longer because she still feel hurt and confused. And today they're going home, that means 8 hours with Rachel and she has no idea how she's going to survive it.

Kurt took a couple deep breaths as he approached the back porch, he saw one of his best friends so confused and broken, and this hurt him quite a bit to see someone he loved like a sister so hurt. He opened the slider door, walked out then closed it behind him. "Hey, Satan." He sat beside Santana, wrapping an arm around her shoulder "You didn't sleep well did you? I ask because you didn't kick me in your sleep for once." Kurt joked in hopes to lighten the atmosphere.

The Latina shakes her head and rest it on Kurt's shoulder. "You know, I only kick you and Leo when I sleep. I'm guessing it's like a sibling thing." She let out a soft chuckle.

"I guess so, because I still allow you on my bed." he chuckled as he rested his head against Santana's. "We got a little while before we need to get ready, is there any last minute things you want to get done? Maybe some Black Friday shopping on new shoes?"

She shakes her head again, "I rather stay in and I still need to pack.." Santana takes a sip from her coffee and rest her hands back on her lap, "I.. I'm thinking to maybe go on a different train." She tells him nervously.

"I.. I don't think the tickets are exchangeable, I get you don't want to be on the same train, but.. I dunno, do it for Dani. Don't pay Rachel any mind right now, what you should focus on is getting home." Kurt suggested, he scratched the back of his head due to him feeling a bit on edge. "I sorta talked to Rachel too.." he looked at Santana with furrowed eyebrows. "She's devastated as well."

She lifts her head and looks at the ground, she hates that the first thing that comes to her mind is that she needs to take care of her. Santana is now looking at Kurt, "I wish I could hate her; it'd make everything easier." She admits and lower her eyes and sighs, "Can I crash at yours until I'll decide what to do? I don't want to be far from Dani before I have to, but I can't.. Be there." Her voice quiet and dripping with insecurity.

"I'll see if Blaine is cool with it, but you're sleeping on the couch.. Is that fine by you?" Kurt gently grazed Santana's shoulder, he was feeling so conflicted at this rate. He could tell the love they had for each other, but due to the fight, it caused his two friends to be stubborn towards each other. "Also.. Rachel isn't taking Dani away from you.. In fact, she actually wants you involved in Dani's life no matter how hurt Rachel is."

"Very nice of her and consistent." Santana says sarcastically, "You see, one moment she's saying that and the next she regrets it.." She feels the anger coming back and her body tenses up. Santana knows it's unfair to put Kurt in the middle, but he's the only person she can talk to. She tries to tone it down for him and besides, she still cares about Rachel, no matter how much she wanted to stop, "But she can't take back what she said last night." She ends up saying only that and taking another sip from her coffee.

Kurt moved back a bit, "You know.. I really question your actions, how about the fact that Rachel threw aside everything that made her, her. Just for you, and you don't realize that." He leaned against the wall to his dad's house. "First of all, the fact that she is still willing to be with you after everything that went on, and that she was crying on the phone saying how horrible of a person she was." He continued. "In fact she didn't blame you at all, she took responsibility for her actions, but what about you? You are pissed at her for calling you out on things you contributed to, and for what? For your own pride?" He stood up and shook his head some more. "You also fail to realize.. She can't take back the fact that she said those three words that you scolded her for."

Santana quickly puts the glass down, she knew she's getting mad and she would throw it otherwise. "You question me?! I told her it's not a good idea to start this thing between us, I always made sure she wants it and told her we can stop. She chose it!" Santana stands up, but far from Kurt, "So she didn't enjoy it? She was suffering all this time, for me? I call bullshit!" Her heart beats fast, "I gave her something that meant a lot to me, I took some step in our weird whatever it was, and what she did? She broke it. She disrespected my work and what we had." Her eyes and throat hurt from pushing down the crying, "What did I do? I'm fucked, ok? Happy?! I can't let myself feel anything, no matter how much I wanted more of her." The pain in her chest stating to be too much so she stops and breath, "But it doesn't matter, right? Cause she loves me and I'm the asshole who can't say it back." She shakes her head and moves to enter back in to take her things and go home.

Kurt quickly followed Santana, "She enjoyed it because it was with you, only you Santana." He yelled towards his friend. "Santana, you can't run from your problems when shit happens, you know how many people try that? How often does it work out?" Kurt stood in front of Santana, his arms crossed and he was sporting an angered look. "I have sat by you two, for a decade now, I have dealt with you two bitching each other out for a decade, but one thing I know for sure, is that for the longest time, you were never truly afraid of anything until after Britt dumped you, which I don't know how many times it needs to be said. Rachel is _not _Brittany!" He continued. "You know damn well that deep in your fucked up head that you love Rachel back, and you're too much of a wuss to say it.." Kurt's voice was shaky. "A-And I am tired, of this.. I am tired of seeing two people I love dearly be in so much fucking pain, Santana." Few tears start to drip from Kurt's face. "You think that this conversation is one I wanted to have? No. But I know neither one of you will ever get your heads out of your asses, not until it's too late and you both will end up more damaged in the end from it... I.. I don't want you two to have to be in pain anymore, Dani doesn't want you two hurt, no one wants you two hurt.. But yourselves." He gulped then turned to leave the room.

"Why did I, for even a second, thought you'd be on my side and see me. Maybe we haven't changed that much since high school." She walks after him, "Have it your way; I'm the bad guy who can fuck her best friend and cuddle with her and help her with her kid, but can't return the feelings. I got it right?" She stands in front of him and push him slightly, "And you want to talk about Brittany?! She was my best friend, I loved her more than anything in this world, and I never pictured my life without her. I wanted to marry her, Kurt, and she.." Santana gulps and tries to control her shaken body, "And you expect me to just go and do the exact thing all over again?! I really don't give a shit about her, but it doesn't mean I'm as new, like nothing happened." She folds her arms to her chest, "Maybe I do feel something for her, but.. I don't know how to live with those feelings anymore and I'm scared. So, yeah, running away sounds much more fun." The words just go out of her mind and she feels tired and defeated. She turns to go find her phone and keys.

Kurt couldn't help but look back at Santana, "The same thing wouldn't happen, I get you're scared.. Also I wasn't taking sides with anyone, I am telling you exactly what I think on the matter since both of you in a way came to me about this." He pointed out as he leaned against the door. "I also never said you were the bad guy, I just said you're stubborn as fuck, hell Rachel is worse. It took her nearly 9 years to try for you after dealing with years of her self-hatred, and you helped her love herself again.. At least you did until that fight, she can try to lie to me about going early Christmas shopping, but I know her.. You know her.." His voice was calm, he was still rubbing some tears from his eyes. "I expect you to know what the right thing is, instead of me having to guide you to the light like I have some long ass beard and a staff." Kurt rolled his eyes and walked over to Santana. "Just.. Think about it for a bit Santana, think about your feelings, then hers, then yours some more.. Remember when you took care of me during my break up with Blaine? What did you say to help me?"

No, she's supposed to be angry at her, to hate her, but Santana is frustrated with everything, she's worried about Rachel and she misses her. "Whatever crazy shit you do, your heart will win you over in the end." Santana sighs and look him in the eyes, "I'm scared, but now I'm scared for her." She mumbles, feeling so small.

Kurt wrapped his arms around Santana, holding her as tight as he could without hurting her. "I know, honey.. I know." He gently rocked their bodies, now feeling guilty for being so mean to Santana about the situation. "I'm sorry.."

Santana presses her body to Kurt's and clings to him, afraid she'd completely break down. "I'm sorry, too." She says quietly and buries her face in the crook of his neck, "Everything was so good and now it's ruined. What if she'd stop eating again?" She asks and the tears just keep coming down.

"I don't know.. But if I were you, I wouldn't want to not be around.. She needs you, despite the fight, despite everything that happened.." He looked down at his friend. "I really hate seeing a pretty face like that being sad, we got hours before we have to get ready, so get your coat, I wanna take you window shopping." Kurt smiling a bit at Santana "Please?"

Santana nods and gives him a tiny smile. She has a lot to think about and even more feelings to understand and set straight, but they have an 8 hours train ride for that. She's tightens the hug for a few second and goes to get ready.

* * *

The time until their train ride back home passed fast. Santana did some shopping, then Kurt took her to her car and she drove home to spend some time with her family. It was hard to say goodbye, but Santana promised her mother to come more often and told her brother they'll talk more about his visit to New York city when she'll get home. Santana made sure to text Dani through the day and made sure to tell her she loves her and that the fight had nothing to do with her, nor it'll affect their relationship. When she got to the train station and saw the group, Santana gulp and told herself to stay strong. She walked over there and gave Dani a tight hug. Dani was so happy to see Santana and she wanted to let go; she had her doubts about the Latina arrival, but Santana told her she will and she did. Dani wanted to pull Santana and Rachel together and makes them good again, but she knew it's not a good idea. She glanced between them with a sad expression and went back to Marley's warm embrace. Not too long after, the train came and everyone took their places; Santana sat on the opposite side of Rachel, trying not to make eye contact. The train was still in place when Santana's eyes closed and she fell asleep.

".. Okay Blaine, try to get a decent table, please?" Kurt asked as he looked back over at Rachel. "Rach, want anything? I can get a to-go order." He quietly asked in order to not disrupt Santana's sleeping.

Rachel kicked her legs up on the seat, "No thanks, Kurt. I actually had a big lunch with my dads, as in they wouldn't let me leave to get ready unless I ate the plate they made for me." She smiled a bit before changing her focus to her DS.

Kurt nodded, "Okay, we'll be back." He said before closing the door.

Rachel was focused on trying to beat her Mario game, and normally Rachel wouldn't play video games, but it was going to be a long ride and she had that thing lying around in her dad's house being unused. "Come on.." She softly said to herself. The brunette quietly growled at the game, then she died in the game. "Fucking red shirt, plumber ass, red hat wearing piece of shit." Rachel forgot that Santana was sleeping across from her, and she spoke out considerably loud.

Santana woke up from her dream and giggles as she heard Rachel's cursing. She slowly opens her eyes and remembers where she is and what happened between her and the woman. She clears her throat and checks the side of her mouth to make sure she didn't drool. Santana's eyes a bit swollen from the sleep and not completely focused on anything.

Rachel jumped a bit, "Oh shit.. I'm sorry.. I didn't.. Uh.." She gulped nervously, and then quickly put the DS away. "Hi.." Rachel said as she sat up, resting her hands on her knees. "Did.. Did I disturb you?" She asked.

Santana blushes and adjusts herself on her seat, "N-No, it's fine. What happened that caused you to swear like a sailor?" Santana asks. _'So much for avoiding her by sleeping the whole ride.'_ She thinks, but parts of her happy to talk to Rachel again.

"Oh, I was sorta playing a video game.. I died and it ticked me off." Rachel nervously moved some hair behind her shoulder. "Kurt and the others went to the diner." She felt like Santana needed to know that.

"Oh.." Santana looks away, but snaps her eyes back to Rachel, "Are they bringing you something?" Her worried overcomes their fight; she won't let Rachel go back to destroying her body.

Rachel shook her head, "My dads made me eat quite a bit before I was allowed to pack my things, so I am full." She held her stomach. "I mean it, Santana.. In case you had doubts." Rachel smiled at the Latina. "Also.. I'm sorry.."

Santana smiles; happy that Rachel clarified it and is ok, at least in that aspect. Her smile falls when Rachel apologized, a sad expression replacing it. She has so many emotions going through her body and so much things that need to be said, but she's not prepared for this conversation. "I'm sorry too." Santana settles with that and grips hard on the edge of her pillow.

"But.. I'm only sorry about the fight.. It wasn't fair to you that I caused such a commotion and in your family home.." Rachel got up, slowly walked towards Santana, gently sits at the edge of the seat that Santana was also on. "I'm not sorry for saying.. I love you.." She looked over at the other woman. "Because.." Rachel gulps a bit. "I-I do, and I have for a very long time.."

Santana fight the instinct to tell Rachel to stop or change the subject, they're way past it. "I can't say it back; I'm still dealing with the emotions caused by our fight a-and I n-need to figure this out. I don't know if I'd be able to say it in the future, I don't know anything." She still feels the anger and wants to yell at Rachel and run, but she just can't; being so close to her again, smelling her favorite perfume and hearing her voice making Santana feel complete.

As hurt as Rachel was, she knew she did more damage to Santana than she even think Brittany did. This was something that Rachel was willing to deal with if it meant that whatever went on, was at least behind them for now. Rachel reached to grab Santana's hand, holding it tight, but not too tight. "I understand, and whatever it takes.. Even if I have to wait another decade to get another chance to hopefully have something close.. I'll wait." She looked into Santana's eyes.

"I don't know what I did to deserve this.." Santana's fingers starting to graze Rachel's on their own. She wanted to tell Rachel everything is ok now and just holds her like before, but nothing comes easy. This road led her to another heartbreak, so things need to change and Santana must figure it out first. Right now, Santana just feels like a crazy person; she wants slap Rachel for what she said and done, but wants to kiss her so badly at the same time. "I thought to go to Kurt's for awhile, until I'll know what I feel and give us space.." She tells Rachel, never looking away.

Rachel let go of Santana's hand, then reached in her coat pocket, "Uhm.. Before I left your family home.. I picked up the necklace, I looked around for as many of the pieces as I could, then this morning I took it to someone who could get it fixed.." She explained as she pulled out the necklace she used to wear. "It cost me a pretty penny, but it's fixed." She smiled a bit before putting on the necklace, making sure her hair didn't get caught in it. "I hope you don't mind me wearing it again, I grew a tad attached to it." She smiled a bit before getting up to walk back to the side she was sitting at.

Santana is shocked and can't speak; she did not expect that to happen and she's not sure how she feels about it. It doesn't make what Rachel said go away, but it brings her some comfort. She nods at Rachel and force herself to look away. Santana takes her phone out and checks her emails, though she can't care less about it right now. She's thankful for Kurt because if she hadn't talked to him about it some, this short conversation would ended up with tears. Santana glance at Rachel again, taking in how beautiful she is, and goes back to try and do something useful.

Kurt walked into the booth with a to-go box in hand, and almost jumps at the sight of Santana being awake. "Santana, you're up." He smiled as he walked over to her. "Here, I got you a BLT sandwich and a side of fries, which by the way are to die for." He explains but suddenly, something in the air changed. "How come the atmosphere here seems less dark?" Asked Kurt as he looked towards Rachel, eyeballing the necklace. "Okay.. Not going to go into this, I am just glad things are at least somewhat sane right now."

* * *

**Did you tear up? Cause I lost a few tears when we wrote it. What do you think of everything that happened?**

Translate:

Vuestros padres y yo necesito ayuda resolviendo lo que estás dispuesto a comer = your parents and I need help solving what you're willing to eat.

Ahora, la señora Lopez = now, Mrs. Lopez.

Oh Dios mío = oh my God.

Oh, mi niño = oh, my child.

Te extrañé tanto = I missed you so much.

Cuidar de los niños = Take care of the children.

**'till next time.**


	12. Chapter 12

**Written with Nephewsnixx.**

* * *

Like every night since they came back a couple of days ago, Dani sneaks up to Santana's room, after she's making sure Rachel is sleeping on the couch. First, Dani thought Rachel would sleep there, for the same reasons as hers and so she'd have an actual bed to sleep in, but she didn't and the young teen guessed it's too hard for her.  
So Dani tiptoeing from her room, through the living room where she sees Rachel sleeping peacefully and in Santana's room. She exhales and crawls onto the bed, taking Santana's pillow and pressing it against her body. Dani rubs her eyes and snuggle into the pillow, that luckily, still have Santana's scent on it and she falls asleep. The young girl missing Santana being there; yes, they talk and spend a couple of hours together, but it's not the same.  
Dani turns from side to side as she starts to dream. Everything looks so real and feels like she's right back there. Dani doesn't know it's a dream and happened in the past, right now she re-living it. The pink haired girl clenches her hands on the pillow and asks for him to stop; asking her for help, but the only thing she gets is more pain.

"No! Please! It hurt, stop it!" Dani cries aloud, "Please, stop!" She begs, but to avail.

Rachel hears the screaming, she rolls off the couch, quickly gets up, then follows the noise into Santana's room to see Dani. "Honey?" Rachel runs to the bed, she sits beside Dani and grabs her hand. "Dani.. Dani!" She calls out. "M-Mommy is here.." Rachel was scared out of her mind, seeing Dani this way and she was alone to deal with this. "Baby.." she weakly says as one hand grazes Dani's cheek "I-I'm right here.."

Dani snaps from her dream and her back is pressed to the headboard. She's awake, but not fully grasping where she is. She looks around, not understanding where she went and how come it stopped. Her eyes find Rachel, panting and shaking, Dani throws herself on the woman and holding onto her as tightly as she can. "Mom, please, don't let them hurt me." She's sobbing.

"I won't.. I promise.." She places a gentle kiss on Dani's temple, "No one's going to hurt you.." Rachel had her arms around Dani; she was still scared of what would happen next.

"H-He was drunk and.. And she j-just stood there." Dani cries louder and trying to get impossibly closer to Rachel, "I didn't do anything.. Please, mom, I didn't do anything!" Even though Rachel is there and it makes no sense for her biological parents to be there, it still feels real to Dani and she's terrified.

Rachel was doing anything and everything she could think of to not break down around Dani, no, not again. But Rachel was broken in her own right, she just wishes she could help Dani a lot more than just comfort, she wishes she could take away all the trauma that Dani suffered, all the stress, just take away Dani's past and replace it with happy moments with her, Santana, Kurt, just to name a few. Unfortunately, Rachel doesn't have any form of a super power. "Dani, calm down, and listen carefully.." She calmly demanded as she looked down at the young girl. "You are not a problem, you're a solution, you're everything good.. Understand? You're my sweet angel, and I won't let anyone try to take your wings, or halo.. That's my eternal promise to you.."

Dani pushes herself from Rachel and looks up at her; she brushes the tears from her eyes, "P-Promise?" She asks with a shaky voice, "You w-won't leave m-me?"

"I could never leave such a sweet thing like you." Rachel gives Dani a slight smile, "You're my girl." She proudly admits, not like it wasn't true anyway. "I want you to remember that, if you ever have a bad dream, think of me and remember what I said.."

The young girl nods and tries to get control of her breathing. Rachel soft and honest voice helps her feel more secure. Now that reality is clear, Dani's exhaustion becomes very notice and she yawns. But she's still scared to go back to sleep, to be alone and dream.

"You should try going back to sleep.." Rachel suggested as she scooted back against the bed rest. "I'll be right here." She tries to assure Dani.

"You'd stay?" Dani mumbles as she tries to find a comfortable position against Rachel's body. She pulls Rachel's hand around her body and slowly, closing her eyes. She moves herself up a bit and rests her head where she can listen to Rachel's heart. "Don't leave, mom."

"I don't plan on leaving." Rachel couldn't help but be in awe at how adorable Dani was being, this was one of the few times that Rachel really felt like a legitimate parent, like she was doing something right and not making things worse, and with what happened on Thanksgiving, she needed this feeling.

* * *

With Rachel's arms wraps protectively around her body, Dani slept through the rest of the night. The morning arrived fast and she had to go back to school and Rachel needed to go to work. They woke up and Rachel told her to go get ready, while she'll fix them breakfast and lunch, but she didn't leave before kissing her on the head. After both of them were ready, they sat together to eat. They have plenty of time before they need to get going, so Dani takes her time.

"Hey, mom?" Dani asks, and then takes a sip of her orange juice.

"Yes, hon?" Rachel answers before taking a bite of her food.

"Can I go to Marley after school for a little bit?" She looks at Rachel, "Her birthday soon and I want to talk to her about what we're going to do. Also, can we go to buy her a gift?" She asks nervously and gives Rachel her best puppy dog eyes.

"Mm.." She dabs a napkin on her mouth. "In my room, go to my closet, you should see a blue box with a red ribbon on it. I got something for Marley that was intended to be her Christmas present, but since her birthday is soon she could have it early and I will look around for something to get her as a substitute." Rachel explained then took a sip of her water.

"Really?!" Dani jumps from her stool and hugs Rachel tightly, "Thank you! You're the best!" She smiles and sits back, "Can I look after we're done eating? I'm kinda hungry.." She blushes.

Rachel shrugged, "Up to you." she smiled back at the young woman, but Rachel still felt nervous from the previous night, after being so terrified of how sad Dani was. "D-Dani.. Do you remember last night by any chance?" She asked.

Dani tense up and put her fork back on the table. She nods, but doesn't say anything or looks at Rachel.

"This has happened a few times.. I'm not a doctor by any means, but you may have PTSD, and in case you do.. I want to get you a therapist." Rachel was explaining in as calm of a tone as possible. "Would that be okay?"

"Y-You think I'm crazy?" Dani looks at Rachel with a frown and hurt in her eyes.

"Did you hear me say that?" Rachel tilted her head then shook it gently. "I don't think you're crazy, but I do think you're more hurt than you are willing to let on.. I want to try to help as much as I can." She reached out towards Dani's hand, gently grazing the back of it.

Dani nods and feels less uncomfortable, "Can I think about it?"

"Of course." Rachel let go of Dani's hand then stood up. "You can finish eating, I am sorta full." She rubbed her stomach and smiled a bit. "Also to answer your question about going to Marley's, it's a yes."

Dani smiles brightly hearing the girl's name and that she can go, "Thanks, Rachel." She's chewing the food in her mouth and turns around to see Rachel, "I have another question, but we don't have to do it.."

"What's the question?" Rachel walked over to the kitchen sink to wash her hands.

"You think we can stop by to say good morning to Tana?" Dani asks slowly and when the words are out of her mouth, she bites her lip.

"Well.." Rachel looked up for a second, and then she looked at Dani. "Yes, we can." She answered happily.

"Yes!" Dani runs and hugs Rachel from behind, "I'm going to tie my shoes and grab my bag." She says in excitement and run to her room.

"Okay, hon." Rachel watched Dani as she left. _'I honestly miss Santana.. These few days without her.. It killed me..'_ She sighed to herself.

In the apartment across the hall, Santana is getting ready for work. It's really early and she can go later and do most of the work from home, but Santana decided she needs to spend some time there; she just got the job and already took a few times away for the trip to Lima. Also, Santana needs to clear her head and seriously consider what she wants to do about her and Rachel. She misses home, even if it's just a few feet from Kurt's, but she can't go back yet; she'll come back when she's absolutely sure what she wants and she and Rachel talked and are in good terms again. Staying with Kurt helps and makes it easier; she's close to Dani and has some quality time with Kurt and Blaine, also she got time to think and most importantly, she and Rachel have time to cool off, think and miss each other. Santana picked up her clothes for today and stripped off her pajama. She takes a hot shower, then wraps a towel around her body and collects her things so she can go get ready.

Dani was quick to get ready; she pretty much dragged Rachel from their apartment, down the hall, to Kurt's and Blaine's apartment. Because she had a key, Dani unlocked the door and opened it, "Auntie and Uncle, I hope you're decent, or at least making out so I have a good reason to stay." she openly says as she looks around the room to see Kurt and Blaine eating their breakfast. "Hi!" She waved at their direction.

Rachel looked over at the two. "I am so sorry; Dani missed Santana and well.. She literally has the strength of a damn tank." She joked and scratched the back of her head.

Kurt shrugged, "I just wish she would stop expecting me and Blaine to make out every time she comes to visit.." He pointed out.

"Hummel, I'm gonna be naked in your-" Santana walks in the living room, steam surrounding her body, and freeze when she sees Dani and Rachel standing there, "Oh.. Is everything ok?" Santana looks between the four people that are there. She tightens the towel around her body and feels warmer than she felt under the hot water.

Dani almost went full detective on Santana's body when she sees her "Damn.." She points out then shakes her head. "Damn.. I missed you?" She shrugged nervously. "Mama?" Dani gave a smile towards Santana.

Rachel glared over at Dani, "Inappropriate, sweetie." She said with a slightly blush on her face when she notices Santana in a towel, _'Dani is right, though... Damn..'_

Santana laughs at Dani comment and hear her calling mamma instantly made her day perfect. "Yeah, yeah, you love me only for my body, huh, D?" She shakes her head and open on of arms, "I missed you too, love. Come here, I'm not wet." She smiles at her. Santana's eyes find Rachel's and she feels exposed; she missed her and she wanted to see her, but not like that.

Dani ran and clenched Santana's waist. "We need to spend time together, and soon." The pink haired girl demanded with a pout forming on her face. "I love Rachel and all, but I want my Mama as well.."

"I can pick you up from school tomorrow and we can do whatever you want." She caresses Dani's face lovingly. "If that's ok with your mom?" Santana looks back at Rachel, feeling like she's drowning in her eyes.

Rachel smiled slightly, "I don't see why not. I have a few late classes for the week to make up for the lost days." She explained as she adjusted the strap on her bag.

Dani's smile grew bigger the second Rachel agreed, she pushed herself against Santana, holding her even tighter. "Oh Mama, do you think we can go to the mall?"

Santana lift the towel and holds it tight, making sure not to embarrass herself even more, "Of course, it's your choice." She glance at Dani with a happy expression, then goes back to looking at Rachel.

Dani nodded, and then walked back over to Rachel, "How late are you classes, Mom?" She asked curiously.

"Why? You trying to make sure I stay gone?" Rachel joked, then wrapped her arm around Dani, "I will be gone 'till 7 the rest of the week, that includes weekends." She said as her eyes met Santana's once more, now she was lost, and she didn't want to ever be found.

"Mom?" Dani raised a brow, poked Rachel's side, then snapped her fingers in front of Rachel's face. "Mom!" She called out, but Rachel didn't respond. "I thought men were bad.." She shook her head, then walked over to the kitchen, sitting beside Kurt.

There is nothing Santana wants more than to pull Rachel against her; have her in her arms and be in Rachel's. Thanks to the sting she feels in her heart, that's not going to happen. But what is she supposed to do? It hurts to be around her and it's painful to be away.

Rachel gets flashbacks of the words she said, her heart was shattered, but she was more hurt by the fact that the broken shards of whatever heart Santana did have was stomped into powder pretty much. "D-Dani.. Let's go.." She says before biting the inside of her lower lip.

"But mom, I don't have to go just yet." Dani looked over at Rachel. "Are you okay?" She asks, taking notice of Rachel's pain filled expression.

Before Rachel could say anything Kurt stood up, walked to Rachel, "I'll drop Dani off at school, I need to go do a couple interviews and her school is on the way." He rubbed Rachel's shoulder for a few seconds. "You two had some time to cool off away from each other, but I don't think you really thought about this alone.." He mentioned.

Rachel slowly nodded. "O-Okay.." She gulped and tried to fight back her tears. "Dani, be good to Kurt." She said before leaving the apartment. Rachel ran down the stairs, out the door, then a bit of way down to the side of the building, and when no one was looking, she slid down against the wall, hugged her knees and buried her face in her arms,_'I really fucked everything up, don't I?'_

Santana glares at Kurt and if a look could kill he'll be already dead. "Thank you very much, Hummel!" She turns to leave, but remember that Dani is still there, "I'm going to get dressed, then we can chat a little until you've got to go." She gives Dani a weak smile and enters the room. Her anger wasn't really towards Kurt and what did she expect to happen? Santana isn't sure, all she knows is that it was nice seeing Rachel and she could stand there, looking at her, all day. She must figure this out soon, for everyone's sake.

In the living room, Dani shrugged, then looked over at Blaine. "How come you rarely talk?" She asks.

"Getting older, work focused, and a lot of people who are above you in your profession yelling at you.. It can cause people to hush." He joked. "But it's worth it in the long run." Blaine admits happily.

"What makes it worth it?" Dani rests her head upon her hand. "I don't think I could handle being consistently scolded by idiots who think they are better than me."

Blaine chuckled, "It's worth it because I get to save lives every day, and make people happier." He stirred his coffee "I'm willing to live with them yelling at me, every second of my life.. But it doesn't affect me like the smiles I put on people's faces when I save their loved ones lives."

Santana sits on Kurt and Blain's for a few minutes to collect herself and when she gets her feelings under control, she gets up and gets dressed. "Hey, D!" She yells, "Why don't you come here and leave the boring couple to stare at a wall or something." She tells Dani and put down her makeup on the dresser and starts to apply it.

Dani ran towards Kurt and Blaine's room happily, she sat on the edge of the bed, criss-crossing her legs as she looks towards the Latina. "Yes, 'Tana?" She asks while batting her eyes.

The Latina watches Dani through the mirror and giggles, "I swear, you're the cutest kid alive." She shakes her head, "So tell mama what's up in your life." She winks and put lipstick on.

"Second cutest, Marley's numero uno on my list." Dani lies back on the bed, "Nothing really is going on, I just lay around, texted Marley, and thinking of ideas of what to do for her birthday. We have a present for her, but I want to make that birthday the best one she's ever had.. You only turn 15 once, and I want this special day to be the yard stick, in which all the other birthdays except for 18th and 21st birthdays, fail in comparison."

"Yeah, just like your mother.." Santana sighs, "That's very thoughtful of you, love. Do you want to take her somewhere or to create something?" She glance at Dani, then back at her own reflection, "I might have an idea, but I'm not so good at these things, so it can be lame." Santana admits and take the eyeliner.

"I don't know.. That's what makes this difficult." Dani sighed somewhat loudly. "If I know Marley well enough, she's not going to want the attention directly on her.. She's passionate about those she loves... Was Rachel like that when she was my age?"

"Rachel was and is the most passionate person I know." Santana says with a smile and a bit of sadness, "If she lets you in, it's done; she'd give and do everything for you." She feels like the tears going to choke her, so she change where she was going with it, "In high school it was a tad different; she was more focused on music and dedicated everything to it. When she moves her, she let herself open and, I guess, re-arrange her priorities. Still, everything Rachel does, she does it with everything in her." Santana takes a breath and realizes she probably said way too much and blushes.

"That's beautiful." She shifts her body to look directly at Santana, a smile formed on her face. "You question why people want you two together? That, everything you said, everything Rachel says, you both have that passion." Dani pointed out. "It's like peanut butter and jelly, or pepperoni on a pizza, or Rap and Rock.. Both are great on their own, but flawless together."

Santana giggles and turns around, leaning on the dresser, "Hon, I know you want us together, but it's not that simple." She says gently to not hurt Dani in any way, "I'm working on it. Your mother deserves the best and maybe I'm not it." She steps forwards and crouch in front of the girl, "But I'm trying. And we're a family, no matter what, I hope you know that."

Dani gently cups Santana's face "She loves you, I love you. That's all you need to be the best, just saying." She smiled a bit as she pecked Santana's lips once. "If anything, you're better than the best."

"Sure you're not saying that because you need something?" Santana tries to light the mood. What Dani said, as simple as it was, reached a deep part of her heart and she's yet to figure how to deal with those feelings. "I love you, too, Dani." She taps her nose and smiles, "What do you say I'll take you to school? And the answer needs to be yes or else I'll think you love your uncle more than me." She winks.

"Okay." Dani slowly sat up, "I would love to have you take me to school." She said as she stood up holding her hands while biting her lip.

Santana took Dani's hands and pulls herself up, then brings Dani close to her and hugs her for a long moment. "Thank you," She kisses her temple, "I love you." Santana tells her and gives her a long look. "Go say goodbye to your aunties, I'll get my things and be right there." The whole truth is that Santana needs a moment to let what Dani said sink, together with the girl calling her mama.

Dani smiled and nodded, "Okay." She said as she left the room. "Goodbye Auntie and Uncle, my mama is taking me to school." She announced happily.

* * *

The pink haired girl got to school with high energies; things with her moms might be sorted out soon, Santana took her to school and she got to go to Marley's after. The school day, itself, was quite boring for Dani, except when she was with Marley or Elliot of course. When it was finally over, the girls and Elliot went home and now the young couple is just cuddled up in Marley's room.

"Marls?" Dani asks, a little nervous, while her fingers just run up and down her girlfriend's hand.

"Yes?" Marley replied as she gently grazed Dani's waist.

"Do you have any plans for your birthday yet?"

"Yes, I am going to school, learning a billion things that won't be applied to the jobs I will end up getting, then going home and lounging around the house.. No different than how I roll every day." She answered, then ran her hand up Dani's back. "Maybe spend more time with you, well, that's what I would want for my birthday at least."

Dani giggles and nuzzles her nose on Marley's neck, then pushes herself up so she could look at the girl's eyes, "Great, so you'd be up for us to do something? Just us?" She bats her eyelashes and smiles.

Marley couldn't help but blush at Dani's actions, "You know, you and your damned smile is gonna drive me insane." She playfully pinned Dani to the bed. "And yes, I would love to do something, just us." Marley said before kissing Dani's chin once. "Have I mentioned I love your face?"

Marley couldn't help but blush at Dani's actions, "You know, you and your damned smile is gonna drive me insane." She playfully pinned Dani to the bed. "And yes I would love to do something, just us." Marley said before kissing Dani's chin once. "Have I mentioned I love your face?"

"Did you?" Dani raises her eyebrow and place her hands on Marley's waist, "Nah, I don't think you did.."

"Well I do, especially your lips." She lowered herself to place a soft kiss on Dani's lips. "You know what I love more than your face?" Marley asked, only few inches from Dani's face.

Dani gulps, looking between her girlfriend's eyes to her lips, "W-What?" She bites her lips.

Marley placed her hand upon Dani's chest, where her heart would be. "Your heart.. Because it's kind, amazing, and beautiful.. Just like you." A blush went across the young brunette's face when she admitted that, not that she had regrets in doing so. She just didn't expect to be able to say those words.

Blush covers Dani's face and the top of her ears. She push herself up a little and pulls Marley closer, "I'm so happy Rachel found me, because it brought me to you." She kiss Marley's nose, "And you're like my family, I feel safe with you. You're wonderful and I never want to let you go." Looking in Marley's eyes, Dani just lets herself be exposed without any worries that she might get hurt.

A smile forms on Marley's face, "I wouldn't put you in harm's way, love." She admitted then bit her lip somewhat nervously. "How are you feeling since, you know.. Thanksgiving?"

"Not too good, M.." Dani admits, "They're sad and Santana isn't home.. I missed how it used to be." She stops for a second, "But I think it's gonna get better; I saw the way they were looking at each other this morning and there was something in Santana's words.." Dani sighs and snuggles against Marley's body, "I just want us to be a happy family.."

Marley adjusted herself to where she was lying beside Dani, her hand holding her head up, she rested one leg on Dani's then placed her free hand on Dani's stomach. "Well, that the weird thing about families; if they aren't arguing about something, then there is something wrong with them."

"I've grown to know that fighting never end well.." Dani shrugs and starts to caress Marley's leg, "They need to open there eyes and stop being so freaking stubborn!"

"You know, Elliot and I used to argue all the time?" Marley admitted. "6 months into him living here, he asked me if I wanted to hang out. Now at the time I really didn't like the idea of some other kid taking my mom's attention away from me. Every time he'd ask I would say no, well this time it kinda irked him. He asked what I had against him, I told him straight up that I didn't like him, and that I wish he'd stay on the streets.." She started feeling like crap the second she brought this up to Dani. "It was like that for.. I'd say a year, then when I had that thing happen to me.. With my anorexia and all, he told me I didn't have to refer to him as my friend if I didn't want to.. So that's when I called him brother for the first time."

Dani pecks Marley's lips, "you were young, it's understandable. Now everyone can see how much you love each other." She smiles at her girlfriend. "The people who gave birth to me.. They weren't loving parents, not at all.." She doesn't want to get into it now; it'd only make her feel bad and ruin their time together, "I want it to be different. I'm sick of feeling semi empty because Tana isn't there. If they won't do it on their own, I might have to come up with another plan!"

"Yes, but let's brainstorm on that in a little bit. I wanted to do something with you first." Marley announced as she sat up, looking over at Dani.

"And that something requires us to get out of bed?" Dani pouts and turn to lay on her side.

"Nope, actually it just requires you to sit up." Marley bit her lip while smirking over at her girlfriend. "Also, it requires some contact.."

"Hm..." Dani moves her body to a sitting position and mirrors the smirk on Marley's face, "What kind of contact are we talking about?"

Marley straddled Dani's lap, "Mouth to mouth? Possibly a bit more?" She winks before leaning down to press her lips against Dani's.

"Probably." Dani mumbles against her girlfriend's lips. She wraps her arms around Marley's lower back. She tugs the girl's lower lip with her teeth, then fully kiss her.

Marley closed her eyes while gently placing her hands on Dani's shoulder, she tilted her head slightly in order to push her tongue into her girlfriend's mouth. Feeling Marley's tongue in her mouth, Dani moans quietly and tightens her hold. She, nervously, pushing her tongue out as well and search for Marley's.  
Dani press their body closer together and feel her skin gets warmer.  
On its own, Marley's upper body pressed against Dani's, her chest rising with each breath she took during the kiss. Marley moved one hand down her girlfriend's back, sneaking its way under the hem of Dani's shirt to feel part of her bare back.  
Dani shivers at the touch. Feeling brave, she slid one hand down and rest it on Marley's ass. The other hand goes to the girl's neck, pulling the faces closer as Dani deepens the kiss.  
Marley was devoted to this kiss to say the least, she moved her hand slowly up Dani's back, slowly lifting her shirt in the process.

Dani slows down the kiss until she bite Marley's lip and disconnects from her. She place her hand on her girlfriend's and peck her swollen lips, "Maybe we should take it a little slower?" She says and blush.

Marley smirked a bit, "Yeah.. Just slightly." She said while gently rubbing her nose against Dani's. "I swear though, your kisses are like a drug to me." Marley pointed out 'Damn that was cheesy!' She thought to herself.

"My girlfriend is such a poet.." Dani chuckles and hugs Marley again. "Want to watch something before I have to go or take a nap?" They need a distraction because Marley isn't the only one with an addiction in the room.

"Stay the night."

Dani smiles, "I really wish I could, Marls.."

"On the night of my birthday, I mean, come over after school with a change of clothes, and we just spend time together, just me and you." Marley swallowed any fear she had of asking.

Dani looks deep into her girlfriend's eyes, her heart skips a beat with how strong her feelings are for her. "Of course, M. That's your special day and I want to make you happy."

"You just made that day special, you realize that?" Marley was doing her best to contain the excitement she had. She was going to get the perfect birthday, and it was all thanks to her and Dani meeting. "You make every day special.." She reluctantly got off of Dani's lap, but kept holding on to her hand. "Thank you."

"Thank you for allowing me to do so." Dani kiss Marley's cheek, not caring that she's being corny.

* * *

Santana's work day was intense, but she finished everything around 5 pm and went home. She knew Blaine won't be coming back until much later, if at all, and that Kurt will be there in about two hours. She has a problem expressing how she feels, that is a known fact, but Santana wants to thank Kurt and Blaine for letting her stay with them and helping her through this. She decides to make Kurt dinner and save some for Blaine for later or for lunch tomorrow. The first thing Santana does is have a quick shower, she then puts on a tank top and a short shorts and goes to the kitchen. While the pasta gets ready, Santana makes the sauce and a salad. Everything is nearly done, when she hears keys in the door.

Kurt unlocks the door, takes in the aroma of the food, inhaling then exhaling. "Okay, if you were my woman, I'd French you just for the great smelling food." He complimented as he shut the door behind him.

"First of all, eww." Santana turns around to face Kurt, holding a wooden spoon, "Second, say that again and I slap you." She smirks, "Ever thought you'd get home from work to find a sexy woman serving you dinner?"

"It used to be two a long time ago." Kurt smirked as he walked to his sofa, placing his bag on it then walked over to the table. "Speaking of work, I think I am done with doing anything for a few days, the two interviews that I had.. They were both complete divas about everything." He explained. "What made it worse was when the two models spotted a guy, and were arguing over him.."

"Ugh, that sounds like hell." Santana turns back to start serving the food. "Leave that shit at work and relax. And if you actually can take some days off, even better." She smiles at him as she place their plates on the table, "I made pasta Bolognese and I saves some for Blaine."

"Say, did your horns get filed off or something?" Kurt joked and returned the smile back towards Santana. "Seriously, thanks." He said before pulling his phone out. "It sucks Blaine won't be home tonight."

"Don't expect it to happen again, it's for letting me stay." She glares at Kurt, but quickly smirks, "Oh, poor auntie porcelain, he won't get any yet another day." Santana starts to laugh while walks to grab a beer.

"You make it sound like I am only worried about sex." He rolled his eyes. "But no, I was hoping he'd be home early so we could marathon Game of Thrones." Kurt shrugged and sighed. "I might know the answer to this.. But have you heard from Rachel today?" He asked.

Santana had a comment to say, until Kurt mentioned Rachel. She shakes her head and swallows the food in her mouth, "I texted Dani earlier, she was at Marley's. So I don't know." She hoped Dani would be home and maybe tell her something about the other woman,_'So pathetic..'_

"I went by her work and.. Whoa.. Okay, phone.. Calm down." Kurt said while mashing down the volume button, turning down the ringer. "Okay.. Never mind, I guess Rachel has been talking to me all day." He gulped.

Santana frowns at him, then rolls her eyes, "You're weird.." She moves the fork to put some pasta on it, "Is she, like, ok?" She asks casually as she possibly can.

"Yeah, she took today to look around for stuff to get the studio.." He says while scrolling through the texts. "Wow.. She's considering making the studio bigger.." Kurt looked over at Santana with a surprised look on his face.

"It's Berry, you know she always thinks big." She has a little smile on her face. She drinks her beer and continuing to eat; she was so busy today that she only ate a small lunch, so now she's starving.

"Bigger as in remodeling." Kurt explained. "I know her, but I don't know how she will come up with the cash for this project."

"She takes care of the finance, I'm sure she knows what she's doing." Santana lifts her head to look at Kurt, "Can we talk about something else, please?" Rachel occupying most of her thoughts and dreams, it's hard to also talk about her.

"How are you feeling? After.. You know." Kurt took a bite of his food.

"I guess we're still talking about her.." Santana rolls her eyes, "How I'm feeling? Hm.." She takes another bite, "When I saw her I wanted to punch her and kiss her at the same time. I walked all day with pain in my chest and at work I read every line for times because my mind thinks I should never stop thinking about her. Other than that, I'm great!" She gives him a fake smile and takes a sip from her beer.

Kurt could see through Santana's fake smile, rather easily too. "You're in love." He simply states.

No longer hungry, Santana let the fork fall from her finger and she glares at Kurt, "You're an asshole."

"I don't hear denial." Kurt pointed out before taking another bite of his food. "It's kinda cute how much you try to put that stone expression in terms of how you really feel about her."

"And how do I feel about her, huh?" She gets another beer and sits down, "First, she was the girl I threw slushies at and that took all the solos, then we became roommates and somehow I find myself consider her as family and have all those.." She drinks a third of the beer in the bottle, "I'm only going to hurt her.." She mumbles quietly. The confession actually makes her to not feel so good physically.

"You feel guilty that you're in love with her." He frowned a bit. "Because of what you did, and what she did to you." Kurt got up, slowly walked to Santana. "But you forget a few things, like the fact you two aren't children anymore. You two have a kid, that no matter what you're calling her yours.. And you had sex with each other." He gently placed his hands on Santana's shoulders and rubs them. "But despite the fight you two had, you feel the same kick in the tatas feeling that you did before.. Correct?"

"Maybe instead of working in fashion, you should've become a psychologist.." Santana sneered. She places the bottle on the table and looks around, "At night, I feel like a child missing his blanket. Does that mean I'm.. I don't even remember how to be in a relationship and what if it won't work? There is too much to risk." Santana can feel the tug war between her mind and heart and it's nothing close to being pleasant.

"There was once a scientist who put a cat and a broken vial of poison in the box and closed it, to test if the cat would live or die." Kurt moved to the seat next to Santana, sitting down and looking at her. "But the only way he would ever be able to find out is if he opened the box. This could have led to one of two possibilities. The cat could be alive and well, or the cat could die. Pretty much your guys' relationship is like that experiment, until one of you makes that first move, it will always either be alive or dead."

"You know, I hate when you're being smart at times like this.." She tells Kurt and turns her body in his direction. Here she is again; heart broken and confused, possibly in love with her best friend and having Kurt sorting the mess she feels inside. "What should I do? I can't jump into a relationship, I'm not sure I'm ready for it and anything else would hurt her again."

Kurt held Santana's hands, "You're a classy girl, so do the classy thing. Take her on a date, to some place nice.. A place that's not the 'Stix." He suggested with a smile on his face. "Talk only about what went on with work, and Dani, don't bring up the fight, don't get into anything _too_ personal. Treat it like it's your first outing with Rachel."

"A date?" Santana took a deep breath and bites her lips. Her heart flutters with the thought of actually taking Rachel on a date. She's scared and unsure, but Kurt's know both of them very well and he always knows what to say to her in situations like that. Santana gives him a small nod, "I'll think about it.."

Rachel made it home after running around half of New York, she picked up Dani after she was done with her errands. She unlocked and opened the door, then looked over at the mailbox, she unlocked the box and saw a few things of mail. "Dani, go ahead and relax for a bit, I got some work to do out here." She told the girl.

Dani shrugged "Kay." She said then walked to her room, shutting the door behind her.

"Bills, Santana's bills." Rachel said while sorting through the mail, she saw the cable one and looked up for a few moments "Our bill." She nodded, then saw a letter from the Wade's office, her eyes shot up as she tossed the other pieces of mail onto the kitchen table, then slowly pulled out her phone and started to type a text to Santana.

Down the hall, Santana just finished doing the dishes. Kurt was fine with letting Santana think about his suggestion and when they were done eating, he walked to the living room; Santana told him they can watch something together and to go ahead and pick while she's cleaning. She hears her new message ringtone from her phone on the table, so she dries her hands and goes to check it. From Rach:_'Santana, I have the letter from Dani's caseworker.. I don't want to open it without you though, can you come over?' _Santana's eyes widened and she gasps.

"I'll be right back Kurt!" She tells him while running out of the door and to her apartment. She stands there, not sure of what to do. Feeling very nervous, Santana decides to knock, "Hey, it's me." She says and does little jumps where she stands.

Rachel answers, almost scared out of her mind, "I-I'm so nervous Santana.." She looks at the envelope that's in her hand. "What if.. What if I can't be her parent?" She looked back at Santana with sad eyes.

Santana takes Rachel's hand and grazes it with her thumb, "I strongly believe that everything is going to be just fine." She walks Rachel to the couch and they sit, "We're in this together. Just open it."

Rachel opened the envelope, nervous as all hell to see what would be said. "Dear Rachel Berry.." She mumbles throughout reading the letter, she gets closer to the end of the letter, and her eyes widen. "O-Oh my god.." Tears started to form and fall.

"What?! Is it a good 'Oh my God' or do I need to go kick someone's ass?!" Santana asks, seeing how emotional Rachel's getting. She never considered to possibility that they won't approve Rachel to be Dani's mother, but now it might've happened and she's scared.

"I-I'm approved.." She quietly answered, looking into Santana's eyes as some more tears fell. "I'm a mom now.." Rachel had a slight smile on her face the second she answered that.

"Oh my God, Rachel!" Santana smiles as wide as she can and pulls Rachel into her. "Congratulations! I don't need to tell you to be a great mother, because you're already the best one. I'm just so happy for you!" Feeling excited, Santana cups Rachel's face and stare into her eyes. She bites her lips and without thinking at all, Santana captures Rachel's lips and kissing her passionately.  
Rachel was overwhelmed with emotion, in just a few seconds she gets to be a mom and the woman she is in love with is currently kissing her right now. She begins to kiss back, placing one hand on Santana's neck as she tilts her head slightly.  
Santana feels ecstatic; Dani gets to stay, Rachel is officially a mom, it's just perfect. And having the girl that makes her feel crazy with all the feelings a person can feel being next to her so happy, Santana can't control herself. She takes Rachel's lower lips between her lips and suck on it for a few second, then she's pushing her tongue in Rachel's mouth and moan when she feel the other woman's tongue. Her hands slide down to Rachel's neck and she pulls her closer.

Dani walked out "Hey Rachel, I was wondering if." She watched as her parents were kissing, her jaw dropped and her heart filled with more excitement. "My family is back, yes!" She cheered and jumped once.

Rachel nervously looked over at Dani, she would have been normally startled, but what Rachel felt for Santana wasn't a secret anymore, and this was the occasion that this was allowed. "D-Dani.. It's official.. You're my daughter." She held out the letter.

A gasp and a soft whine came from the pink haired girl. "R-Really?" Dani asked. Rachel nodded. Dani ran to Rachel and Santana, wrapping her arms around both of them. "Oh my god!" She happily exclaimed as she began to cry. "This is the best night of my life!"

"That's it, baby girl, you're here for good. No one is going to take you away from us." Santana smiles and gives Dani a strong kiss on her cheek. She can overthink the kiss and freak out about it with Kurt later, this is a family moment and she' into it 100 percent. She let out a breath; yes, Dani isn't going anywhere.

* * *

**Thoughts?**

**'till next time.**


	13. Chapter 13

**Hey, everyone!**

**First, sorry for not updating on Sunday! **

**A huge thank you to more than 100 followers, to everyone take the time to write a review or send a message on Tumblr, to those who added the story to their favorite list and just thank you for reading and liking our story :) **

**Written with Newphewsnixx.**

* * *

Two days, one hour, and forty-five minute have passed since the kiss. Santana feels a little pathetic for counting, but she can't help but obsessed over it. Now she thinks Kurt is tired of her freaking out about it and taking over the living room area, because he was in the middle of one of his shows when she came and started talking about it again. Kurt paused what he was watching and turned to her with a look she knows very well.

Kurt gave out a sigh of annoyance after seeing Santana consistently discuss the kiss. "Satan! I get it!" He threw his hands up. "You and Rachel kissed, you're confused still as what to do, you want to go there right now and have some passion sex with her. I get it, but the more you talk about it, the less I care!" He exclaimed as he laid his head on the arm rest.

Santana frowns in his direction, "You're my best friend, who else am I supposed to talk to about it?" She tugs his shirt a few times, "And I can't really go over there and have sex with her.. I can't, right?" Santana is well aware that things need to change, but she really misses Rachel so she looks at Kurt with a tiny hope in her eyes.

"Well, Rachel would most likely let you." Kurt said as he rose up a bit. "Look, you enjoyed the kiss, right? Chances are Rachel enjoyed the kiss as much, if not slightly more because she's been attracted to you a lot longer than you've been to her." He explained. "So I think things will be fine with you two, in fact more than fine, damn near perfect."

"That didn't really answer my question.." She rests her head on his shoulder, "How do I make my mind stop thinking and dreaming about it? Cause let me tell you, I earn a lot now, but not enough to buy new underwear every day." She sighs and pulls her legs on the couch, "What am I going to do?"

For a second Kurt actually looked towards Santana's area "You haven't been spilling your lady juices on my couch, right?" He asked, but shook his head and focused more on trying to console is friend. "San, my best advice is to relax. Just.. You know, chill."

"I'm not sure you really want to know that." She chuckles and sighs again, "How can I chill? We sort of have a kid together, I can't stay with you forever, she's my best friend whom I did lots of things with, we had a fight and she gave me a kiss I can't forget." Santana lists, "Now you tell me how am I supposed to relax when I have so much to think about.."

Kurt shrugged and tried to regain his comfort. "I guess you have a point, Rachel probably isn't thinking about you anyway." He said with a slight smirk forming. "Can't say I'd blame her, unrequited love is a bitch."

"Excuse you?!" Santana pushes herself from Kurt and glares at him, "Why would you same something like this? Did she tell you that?"

"She didn't have to, you can totally tell." Kurt kicked his feet up on the coffee table. "I guess a decade was too long for Rachel to wait, again, I don't blame her."

"Are you saying she's over me? Are you fucking with me right now, Kurt? Because it's not funny." Santana folds her arms and has an angry expression on her face, "Cause I'm a great kisser.. No, I'm a fucking pro! Even if she wanted to get over me, after that kiss, she couldn't." Right now, Santana looks more like a five year old than a grown woman.

"Oh, she totally can't get over you." Kurt said sarcastically. "Hell, she probably won't accept a date, even if you asked." He continued his sarcasm in hopes it would work.

"Won't accept.. What are you talking about? I thought you are my friend, yet you insist on hurting me." She scoots away from him. "She would date me in a heartbeat! But I'm not ready, I can't do it.."

Kurt shrugged, "Doubtful." He pressed play on his show and turned his focus to that.

"Fuck you, Kurt!" She yells at him and gets up, "Over me, he tells me.. Ah! I'll show him how not over me she is! Fucking lady lips, who does he think he is? I'm freaking Santana Lopez!" Santana mumbles as she's crossing the apartment and takes a flower from the vase in the kitchen. She slams the door behind her and walks to her own place.

"Finally." Kurt said as he shifts his body to lie on the couch, but suddenly remembers what Santana said. "Not a good idea." He got off the couch and sat on the floor.

"Stupid, Kurt! He's lucky to still be alive.." Santana keeps mumbling to herself while she knocks on the door and wait for it to be open.

"Just a sec!" Rachel said as she hit pause on the DVD she was watching, she got off the couch and walked over to the front door, unlocked it, then opened it. "Hello.. Santana, come in." She smiled and moved to the side to allow her in.

Santana huff and gets it, "This is for you." She hands Rachel the white flower on the way in. Smelling the familiar smell of her home, of Dani and Rachel relaxes Santana and she can finally smile. "I'm here to ask you something." Her eyes meet Rachel's and she gulps; she can't back off now, but this is stressful as hell. Her mouth is dry, her hands sweaty and she's pretty sure she'd faint if it'll take too long. _'This is not me! Since when I get nervous asking a girl out? God dammit, what did she do to me..'_

Rachel looked at the flower and smiled a bit. "Thank you Santana, that's very sweet of you." She carefully walked over to the kitchen. "If you're wondering where Dani is, Elliot came by to pick her up, she's staying over at their house for Marley's birthday." She explained while looking in the cupboards for a tall cup.

"I wanted to ask.. Wait, what do you mean staying over? After you caught them in your dads' house, you're letting her sleep there?" Santana turns to Rachel with a curious and worried look.

"It's Marley's birthday, and Elliot is going to be hanging out with them." Rachel explained as she slowly walked to Santana. "What, uh.. What did you want to ask me?" She asked.

Santana gulps, "Oh, yeah.. Hm.." She sways from side to side, "Would you l-like do go out w-with me?" She gains her confidence back when she remembers Kurt. Santana looks at Rachel with hope and something more that she's not willing to admit and bite her inner cheek.

Rachel froze the second Santana asked. "L-Like on a.. Like on date?" She gave the other woman a nervous look.

"Not like, an actual date." Santana grins and raise her eyebrow in a seductive way, "This weekend. What do you say?" Her index finger grazes Rachel's right arm.

Rachel closed the distance between the two, and then gave Santana a lip bitten smile. "I'd love to, San."

"Great." Santana gives Rachel's arm a small squeeze and pulls her hand back. She can't believe she really thought Rachel won't agree, how stupid of her. She bites her lip and glance at Rachel's lips, "You should know I don't kiss on the first date." She smirks. _'Though I'd totally make an exception with her; those lips are addictive.'_ Santana tries to keep a normal expression and not moan when she thinks of their last kiss.

"Shame." Rachel turned away. "Because I would."

Santana clears her throat to calm her urge to push Rachel against a wall. "Is Friday at 6 ok with you? And you'd probably need to wear a dress." Santana does plan to charm Rachel and make it a memorable night by doing something fancy and super romantic, but she also loves seeing the woman in a dress.

"Yeah, Friday works." Rachel looked back at Santana with a smile on her face. "I will see what I have in my wardrobe." She winked towards Santana's direction.

"Can I watch?" Santana gulps, then her eyes widened, "I said it aloud, didn't I? Fuck, I have the sex drive of a teenage boy.. Sorry... I should go!" Santana blushes; she didn't forget how beautiful and cute Rachel is, but seeing it and after some time apart makes her act like an idiot. _'I need to get my game back and I need to do it before our date or else I'll embrace myself further and could never face her.'_ She thinks, for a second forgetting Rachel is right there and that she supposed to leave.

_'I would totally let her do more than watch..'_ Rachel's face lit up a bit. "I'll see you on Friday, Santana." She gave a nod, and then made her way back to the couch. _'Ow..'_ She ignored the pain she was feeling as she sat down.

* * *

Dani, Marley and Elliot spent the evening watching movies, talking and laughing. Dani didn't leave her girlfriend's side throughout that time and Marley seemed pleased celebrating her 15th birthday in that way. Dani couldn't be happier; her girlfriend enjoying her birthday and she got to be with her best friends. When it got late, the girls told Elliot good night and went to bed. After getting ready for bed, Dani cuddled into Marley's body and closed her eyes.

"M? You ok? She asks her, half asleep.

Marley kept close to her girlfriend, rubbing her nose against Dani's. "I can't sleep.. I am still too awake."

"We can talk, it'd make you sleepy." Dani suggests in a quiet tone.

"I just turned 15.. In three years I will be an adult.." Marley bit her lip. "I'm at my last years of having child fun, and soon I will have to get a job, pay taxes, buy my own underwear, and get push-up bras to make my chest look bigger." She joked towards the end but for the rest Marley was serious about. "I still don't know what I want to do."

"You don't need to buy those, unless you're planning to be with someone else.." Dani blushes and bites her lip. "You still have time to figure out your way in life. I'm not too sure what I want to do either." She tells her, "I know I want to see the world and do something I like with someone I love by my side.." She snuggles into Marley's neck, feeling shy about her confession.

"I wanted to write music.. But I have had little to no inspiration to pick up a pen and paper." The brunette explained. "I want to do something amazing, something no one else would have the guts to do." Marley's voice was confident. "I want to kinda be like the Spider-Man's and the Superman's of reality.."

Dani smiles and lifts herself up to look in her girlfriend's eyes, "And I have no doubt you will! You're so talented and when you'll find your inspiration, you're going to amaze the world!" Dani says with so much confidence.

"I want to make that world better, not just for me.." Marley looked into Dani's eyes, placing one hand on her waist. "But for you, my love." She said in as serious of a tone as she could. "Would you support me, no matter what?"

Dani sits up and looks confused at Marley, "So you do have some sort of a plan." She rest on her side, "I'm going to do my best, but you need me what it is you have in mind."

"I'm thinking of enlisting.." Marley struggled to confess, but she needed to tell Dani this. "I want to enlist in the Marines." She looked over at her girlfriend. "But I want your opinion on the matter before I make a final decision."

Dani almost fell off the bed with the shock hearing Marley's plans. She pushes herself from her girlfriend and sits up, "I c-can't tell you what to do.." Tears threatening to escape her eyes.

"Dani.." Marley sat up and held onto Dani's hand. "This would benefit more than just me.. I could make sure you have a better life when I come back; with the benefits of joining, it would be hard to get that from a standard college." She placed her free hand on Dani's cheek. "If you don't want me to, I won't."

"Then be the girl who stopped you from going after your dream? Have you hate me? I won't." The tears streams down her face, "But I don't if I can do this. We're still young, but I don't think I can be the one staying home, worried sick for her girlfriend." She looks down and clenches her chest, "I'm sorry." She whispers, "Maybe I should call my mom to come and take me home.." She breathes out with extreme hurt.

"I wouldn't hate you, and right now it's just me rambling, I don't know if I will actually go through with it." Marley tries to assure Dani, she places a couple kisses on Dani's lips. "Three years is a long time from now.. Over a thousand days, so it's not like I would be going tomorrow if I decided on doing so." She got on her knees and gently pressed her forehead against Dani's.

"No, it won't be tomorrow, but I'd have three years of falling more and more for you just to have you leave me." Dani lifts her head, "I've got too hurt so far, and I can't deal with not having you."

Marley looked down and slowly nodded, "I won't go." She looked back into Dani's eyes. "I just.. I want to make everything greater for you, I want you to have a girlfriend who can always take care of your needs.." She bit her lip slightly.

Dani place one hand on Marley's left cheek and gives her a half smile, "I shouldn't be the reason you do or don't do things." She brush pecks her lips, "You have time to think about it and I have time to get used to it. But I am scared of losing you and I don't want to let go." She says truthfully.

"Well.." Marley returned the half smile "I still don't know if I will go through with it, like I said a couple days ago.. I am sorta addicted to you." She admits as she lies back down. "No matter what though, nothing will keep me down, as long as I have you."

"I'm not planning on letting you go anywhere," Dani return to her spot; mostly on Marley's body, "Not now and not in the future." She looks up and smiles, then she snuggle her body further. The thought of losing Marley is terrifying to her, so she holds on tightly on her girlfriend. Dani hopes that either Marley won't want to do it or that she'd be strong enough to support her. She doesn't even think of their joints possible struggle, it's still early.

Marley traced her hand along Dani's side "I don't get it.." She looked at the ceiling for a few moments. "Why do you become more beautiful every time I see you? Or every time I dream of you, think of you.." Marley looked back at Dani. "How come you're perfect?"

"You're too much. I don't know what I did to have you in my life." Dani looks up at her girlfriend, "I'm the fortunate one in this room." She tells her honestly and smiles.

"Dani.." The brunette gently cupped Dani's face, gazing into her eyes for awhile. "I.." she gulped. "I love you.." Marley whispered then blushed quite noticeably.

Dani gasps and pushes her body up a little to get a better look at her girlfriend. She feels her whole body getting warmer, outside and inside. Her happiness cannot be described; she felt a pull towards Marley since their eyes first met and every day she fell for her more and more. A few months ago, Dani didn't have hope or dreams and now she has everything she ever wanted. She doesn't need to think, her heart already knows the response, "I love you too, Marley." She's practically glowing as she's saying these words.

* * *

Friday hit New York like a high speed freight train, because Rachel was not ready for this night to exist, she was tossing her clothes everywhere trying to find the perfect dress for the date, preferably one that wasn't used in a play. When she finds the dress she goes to the bathroom, takes a quick but nice, warm shower. Rachel finished her shower, and then put her dress on, not able to get the zipper up past her upper back. "Damn.. Hey Dani!" She called out.

"Yeah?" Dani answers from her place on the couch, her eyes not leaving her phone. She keeps telling Marley how excited she is for her mom's date and the two young girls trying to guess where Santana is going to take Rachel, because the Latina refused to tell her.

"I need some help getting my dress zipper the rest of the way up, please help?" Rachel asked as she felt around the counter for her glasses.

Dani makes her way to the bathroom and zip Rachel up. "This is a beautiful dress, mom." She tells her with a smile.

"You don't, uhm.." Rachel turns to Dani, a blush hit her face. "You don't think it makes me look fat?" She asked as she held her stomach nervously.

"Mom, a dress can't make you look like something you're not." Dani states, "And you're a beautiful woman, so the dress only emphasizes that!" She takes the hand Rachel placed on her stomach and drags her to her room to continue getting ready.

Rachel still couldn't get used to being called beautiful by anyone, let alone Dani, even more so Santana. "Say, could you do my makeup? It'd be difficult for me to do so since.. Well my shades." She asked and explained

"You know I'm great at that." Dani nods, "sit and let me take care of everything." She's thrilled to take part of the evening, even if it's just helping her mom get ready. "So, any ideas where Tana going to take you?"

"Nope, I've been thinking about it ever since she asked me out." Rachel sat down then took her glassed off to allow Dani to do the makeup. "Honestly, I am terrified of going, I haven't been on an actual date in.. 6 years I think."

"But it's not a regular date," Dani takes the eye shadow and eyeliner from the top of the dresser and walks to Rachel, "You're going out with your best friend whom you know for ten years. You're practically functioned as a couple before, tonight is about letting yourself feel." Dani stops what she's doing and thinks, "Well, more Santana upping her game and opening her eyes, while you only need to enjoy it." She shrugs and continues.

"No, I need to up my game too." Rachel pursed her lips. "Tonight I need to show Santana, that I am different.. That I am not like her ex, and that I can make her happy."

"Do I really need to say it?" Dani raise her eyebrow, but remember that Rachel's eyes are closed and huffs, "She already knows that and she loves you. She only needs to grow some balls and act on it." She says with confidence. "Just be yourself, mom, that's who she loves."

"H-Has she said that?"

"You two, are impossible. I kinda feel sorry for Kurt.." Dani rolls her eyes, "I live with you and the way she looks at you and the way she cares, that's love." She's done with the eye makeup and takes a step back to see that it's alright, "Perfect!" She gives a thumbs up, "Don't think about it too much, and let her do all the work for a change." Dani winks at Rachel.

"Thanks, hon." Rachel put her glasses on. "But it's not like I try to be impossible, I just don't know how to.. Well, be on a date.." She frowns. "If I let Santana do all the work, she may get tired of it, and of me.."

"She needs to sweat a little before you take her back." Dani states and put the makeup back in its place, "And you need to show her what she's missing and can't have just yet." Dani turns to Rachel with a smirk and her hands fold.

Rachel shook her head and chuckled, "You are too grown up for your own good.. Have you been going on Kurt's FanFiction account?" She raised a brow and glared towards Dani's direction.

"I don't know what you're talking about, mom." Dani says while chewing on her inner cheek.

"Right.." Rachel titled her head and smiled. "Speaking of which, you're going to be staying there tonight." she said as she stood up, then walked over to her purse to make sure she had everything. "Is there anything you want before I take you over to Kurt's?"

"Take me there? Isn't Santana picking you up?" Dani asks curiously.

"She is, but I am dropping you off first because I need to talk to Kurt about something for the studio." Rachel explained.

"Oh.. Well, let's go!" She takes Rachel's hands and starts pulling her.

* * *

This week passed so slowly that Santana almost lost it. At first, she was proud of herself for doing it and hyped about Friday, but as the days went by, Santana got more and more nervous. She did as Kurt told her and put aside their fight, this talk can wait. Santana spent hours in front of her computer, trying to come up with the perfect date; It's not just another girl she can take out for a meal and dump, this is Rachel and Santana planed on giving her the best she can. Eventually, she got it and got back to being extremely excited.

Dressed in a new navy blue dress, Santana makes her way to her apartment to pick Rachel up. She gently knocks on the door and waits.

Rachel's eyes shot at the door's direction, she got up and made sure that her outfit was on correctly. She took a few steps to the door, unlocked it, then answered it, and was she ever amazed by the sight before her. "Damn.." She said, not even caring that it wasn't to herself.

"Expecting someone else?" Santana chuckles nervously. "Hey, Rach. You look absolutely gorgeous tonight." She takes Rachel's hand and kisses it.

Rachel smiled at Santana, "Nothing compared to you Ms. Lopez." She said before leaning towards the Latina to give her a kiss on the cheek. "So, uh.. Kurt gave me his car keys, if you want, we can use his car."

"Nah, we don't need it." She smiles. Santana looks in her bag for a small nylon bag, she takes what's inside out and hand it to Rachel, "It's a rose leaf, it means hope." She gulps and looks straight in Rachel's eyes, "A lot has happened in our past, even recent past and I'm not entirely sure how to fix it or what's going to happen between us," Santana speaks the little speech she worked on this morning, "But I have hope that we can, somehow, make it. I want you to know that and have hope, as well." She licks her lips because they're dry from how nervous she is.

"San.." Rachel looked at the rose petal and smiles some more. "It's beautiful." She looks over at Santana with a slight sparkle in her eyes. "Thank you."

"Yeah.. Hm.. Let's go." Santana nods and start walking, "I rented us a car, and it's just outside the building." The part she was scared about the most had passed and Santana feels a lot better. She's going to give Rachel the best night of her life, she's sure of it.

Rachel nodded and walked into the hall, locking the door behind her then she carefully walked down the stairs. _'Ow.. Ow..'_ She almost forgot about rolling her ankle earlier in the week.

Santana stops and looks to the side, "Are you alright?"

"Yeah.. I hurt my ankle earlier this week and it still kinda hurts." Rachel looked at Santana, waved her hand. "I'll be fine." She said as she approached Santana.

"We can do it some other time, I don't want you to suffer the whole night." Santana gets closer and put one arm around Rachel's waist, pulling her against her body.

"I would suffer more by not going through with this." Rachel bit her lower lip as she takes notice of how close they are. "Besides, it took me forever to build up the confidence to get this dress on."

Santana smiles at her, "I'm very proud of you," It's pretty difficult for her to put aside everything that happened between them and the fact that she got so used to being Rachel's mistress, but she's quick to correct herself, "Happy! I mean I'm very happy you did, because you're beautiful."

The brunette pursed her lips, "Thank you, now I'd be happy if we got to the car, standing this long is killing my ankle." Rachel softly chuckled while she was speaking.

"Oh, yeah, of course. Sorry." Santana shakes her head and they make their way to the car. The car ride wasn't long and the two women spent it chatting about some general topics. Santana was a little they won't get there on time, but they were there a little early. "We're here. Do you need help with getting out?" Santana turns the engine off and puts put her phone in her bag.

N-No I am good San." Rachel nodded then opened the door. "So where did you take us?" She asked as she carefully got out of the car

Santana walks out of the car, "See that ship over there?" She points, then locks the car, "We're going to have dinner on it and enjoy the beautiful view of our city." She states and starts walking towards the dock.

"Oh my god.. Santana, you really out did yourself." Rachel's face lit up with excitement the second she sees the ship. "S-Santana.. How much did you pay for this?" She asked while following Santana closely.

"Rach, I asked you out, it doesn't need to bother you." Santana answer simply and link their hands; wanting Rachel close and for people to know they're there together, that's how insecure she is about entering a new relationship. "I want you to have the best time, you deserve it."

"Well, the best time is anytime with you." Rachel confessed with a blush across her face._'I am glad she isn't lactose intolerant because that was cheesy on your part Rachel.'_ She scolded herself for saying that, regardless of it being true.

"True, I'm a fun person." Santana giggles, "But you had your fair share of dark bars and clubs. You're a lady and you're going to be treated as one." Yes, Santana is pulling her big guns. Taking Rachel out and take care of her gives her feelings she's not familiar with and she loves it.

"We will. Now, we're going to start sailing, let's go to the bow to see better." Santana can't take the smile off her face, it feels so right. Santana made sure, when she planed the evening that they'd get the VIP treatment thanks to her running one of the most successful club in the city. When they get to the bow of the ship, a waiter gives them two champagne glasses, "To you, to an amazing night and of course, to that cute girl you just adopted." Santana leans her glass forward and wait for Rachel.

"To us, our amazing night.. And the most important thing.. Our daughter." Rachel said as she lightly tapped her glass against Santana's.

Panic threatens to take over Santana's feelings and ruin the perfect night she planned. All of her fears, her insecurities and everything she's putting on the line rush to her mind and almost overwhelms her. She drinks the champagne and takes a deep breath, 'You can do it! She deserves this after what you put her through and you're having fun. Have fun now, panic later.' Santana nods to herself while she looks at the view ahead of them as the ships starts to move.

Rachel drank her champagne then looks out to see the sky, "Hey, San?" She calls out, getting a bit more of a grip on Santana's hand.

"Yeah?" She turns her head, "You want to sit? They have chairs here."

"Uh, yeah. Sure." Rachel looks at Santana. "That's what I was going to ask actually." She softly giggled.

Santana smiles again. She hates that she's so scared of something that feels so good. She asks for a crew member to bring them two chairs; she didn't want to leave Rachel's side and they don't have many people around them, unlike other areas. "So how things are going with the studio?" Santana asks after they sit.

"It'd be better if things didn't cost so much money." She adjusted her glasses to make sure she could see well. "To add another story, and expand the building to make it wider, I am gonna have to fork out $125 thousand." Rachel sighed. "Not that I wouldn't but that's a lot of pennies I'd lose if something were to happen."

"Wow, you're really serious with that, huh?" Santana watch the sea for a couple of moments, then looks back at Rachel, "Don't give me an answer now." She starts, "I can help. The club is doing great and I'd love to help bring your vision to life."

"I thought you already were." Rachel said as she gently poked Santana's side. "Otherwise, where are all the mistresses that work at your bar coming from?" She bit her lip and smiled some. "They all told me that you were the one that recommended them to me."

Santana is very thankful for her dark skin, because she's blushing furiously at the moment. She rolls her eyes to cover up her shyness and speaks, "I might get jealous with all those women around you, Rach." Who is she kidding? Santana is jealous of every person that even walks next to the woman. "Jokes aside, I'm serious about helping. I'm might get a car soon, but that's requires something that we need to discuss. But things are going very well, for both of us, and I don't want anything to stop you, not if I can do something about it. Just think about it." She looks back at the sea.

"If it's car insurance, don't worry about it. I've had insurance for.. God, since I first drove a car." Rachel moved some hair over her shoulder. "Or were you talking about something else?"

"No, its work related and can wait for a time when we're not on a date." Santana looks at her watch, "You want to get inside? I think it's time."

"I would love to." Rachel interlocked her fingers with Santana's, and no matter how many times their skin touches, Rachel can't get enough of Santana's smooth skin.

Santana leads Rachel to the private booth she reserved for them and sits across from her. "I made sure they have a vegetarian menu, as well." She proudly tells Rachel, "And I heard their desserts are delicious!"

"Well, luckily today is my cheat day, I can have all the sweets I want tonight, and feel guilty about it tomorrow." Rachel rubbed her hands together. "I still can't get over how much you've done, just for this date."

Santana channels all her control not to scowl Rachel for the comment she made regarding food; she'd make sure Rachel stays healthy, but another way. "I didn't do much, really, just made sure everything is perfect." She shrugs.

"Good evening, ladies. Ready to order?"

"Go ahead, Rach."

"I will have a Grapefruit and Fennel Salad, and a water to drink." Rachel looked over at Santana with a smile on her face.

"I'll have the Pan Seared Chicken with the mushroom ragout and soda." She says politely and when her leaves she turns to Rachel, "Is it still ok that I'm taking D tomorrow morning?"

"Yeah, it's okay. She loves being around her mama, almost more than she loves being around me." Rachel sorta joked, there were times where she'd wonder who Dani loved the most out of the bunch. She's shown more emotion towards other people, but not as much to Rachel.

"As if.. When she's not talking about Marley, that's like five minutes a day, she's talking about you." Santana chuckles and shakes her head, "She calls you mom all the time, huh? That must feel amazing to you." She touches Rachel's and quickly takes it back.

"It's an amazing feeling.." Rachel gave a calm smile. "I mean.. I can't ever get used to it and I've been officially a mom for a couple days." She tried to make sense out of everything. "In such a short time, I fell for that girl, and I put my foot down as soon as I was able to on being her guardian, then her parent."

"And I'm happy you did because she's like the missing piece to our puzzle, you know?" Santana says, "She has a unique bond with each of us. I can't imagine my life without her." A slight shiver goes through her body, remembering the fight. "But we need to work on her attitude. Sometimes I don't know what to do; laugh or scold her." Santana laughs and shakes her head.

"We keep forgetting she's a young woman, but she dealt with a lot worse than we did at her age." Rachel scratches the back of her head while explaining. "I guess we're more old-fashioned, huh?"

"Yeah, only because we want the best for her." The waiter come with their food, the women thank him and he leaves, "Did she have more nightmares? That time was pretty scary."

"..Yes." Rachel looked down. "This one was more brutal than the last." She said before taking a sip of her water. "I haven't been sleeping well since then, just to make sure that she sleeps soundly at night."

Santana feels a pain in her chest and reach for Rachel's hand, "That's horrible. You don't need to go through it alone; if it happens again, call me and I'll be there." She let her hand say on Rachel's for another long moment before pulling it back, "We can give her a lot, but maybe she needs a professional help." She tells Rachel and takes a bite from her food.

"I suggested that, but I didn't want to be pushy." Rachel takes a bite from her food, now worried about Dani and if she's had those night terrors at Kurt's or not. "Oh, Dani's girlfriend wants to join the army apparently." She bit her lower lip. "Dani doesn't know how to feel on the matter."

"I suggested that, but I didn't want to be pushy." Rachel takes a bite from her food, now worried about Dani and if she's had those night terrors at Kurt's or not. "Oh, Dani's girlfriend wants to join the army apparently." she bit her lower lip. "Dani doesn't know how to feel on the matter."

"Really? I think it can be great for Marley, not so much for Dani.." Santana takes a sip from her drink, "I'll talk to her tomorrow about those things, see if I can help somehow."

Rachel smiled at Santana, keeping her eyes on the other woman. "Uh.. Yeah." She gulped nervously. "C-Can I speak freely, San?"

"Of course." Santana put her fork down and looks at Rachel.

Rachel pursed her lips, "I.. I missed you, quite a lot." She blushed upon admitting that. "And you look amazing, I just wanted to say those two things."

"Oh.." Feeling relieved that nothing is wrong and shy, "Thank you, Rach." She tucks some hair behind her left ear, "And I missed you too; not only your beauty, but simply being around you." Santana wants to say so much, but this small admission already makes her feel weird inside.

Rachel can't help but feel warm inside the second she hears Santana say that, then again she can't help how she feels for the Latina; anything she does sends chills up Rachel's spine, and anything she says sends butterflies in the brunette's stomach. "I am glad we are here, really.. Really glad."

"I'm happy you're having a good time, that's all I wanted." Santana grins and goes back to eating.

_'Look at her.. She's everything amazing and then some..'_ Rachel takes a couple breaths then goes back to eating her salad.

The rest of the dinner was nice; they talked, laughed and ate some dessert. After a short rest, the two women walk to the dance floor and join the other couples there. Santana has experience with dancing, but she let Rachel lead; that's her area and Santana wants to let her shine. Also, she needs to work on letting go of constantly being in control.

Rachel gently leaned her head against Santana's as they danced. "I don't mind if you want to lead, it would actually be easier on my ankle if you did." She whispers as she gently hooks her arms over Santana's shoulder.

Santana nods and move her hands to Rachel's waist, "Just a little bit, I don't want your injury to get worse." Being in such close proximity to Rachel, makes Santana feels like she's floating a few inches in air. Their bodies fit perfectly together as they move in sync. It's so perfect that Santana doesn't want to be away from Rachel ever again.

"The music is great." Rachel points out as her eyes doesn't leave Santana's, she tried to close the little gap between them. Blushing at her action, Rachel gulps quietly. "S-Sorry.."

"Believe me, I want to kiss you so badly right now and much more, but I doubt it'd help us." Santana's grip on Rachel's waist tightens, "I'm still not sure about anything," She says quietly and tries to control her shaky hands, "I'd like to take it slow and do it right." She glances at Rachel's eyes, but averts them quickly.

"S-San, relax.. Look at me." Rachel gently rests her hands on Santana's shoulders, smiling at her date. "Everything you are doing, is right. The last thing I would ever want is for you to try so hard when you don't need to.." She explained while carefully moving along to the music. "Okay? I don't want you to panic on our night.."

_'God, she's perfect..'_ Santana thinks and nods her head. She brushes her nose on Rachel's and pulls the woman closer to her. Taking it slow and not panic, that's what she needs to do, that and make sure Rachel has amazing night.

After the slow dancing, the music became upbeat and people began to dance to that style of music. Sadly Rachel wasn't able to join in because of her ankle, so she suggested that the two should go home, and Santana felt the same so this was a benefit to both girls. The drive home was quiet, but looks were obviously exchanged as well, not that they could blame each other since they're both beautiful women that were into each other. They make it up to the stairs and Rachel is a little exhausted from the dancing, and ignoring the pain in her ankle didn't help keep her up and running either, but she knew it was worth it to see someone so beautiful, so flawless, to Rachel, Santana was that beautifully flawless woman that she needed in her life.

"T-Thank you for the wonderful evening Santana, I don't think I have had so much fun on a date like I did tonight." Rachel grazed Santana's hand ever so gently._'She's so.. She_ is_perfect..'_

"I was lucky you agreed and I'm glad you enjoyed it like I did." Santana's heart beat so fast and it sounds so loud, she's worried Rachel might hear it too, "Stay off your foot and if you need help with anything, call me." She come closer and kisses Rachel's cheeks, "Good night. I'll see you in the morning."

_'Oh, I need you, but that'd be crossing a line right now..'_ Rachel smiled and nodded "Night, San." She turned to unlock the door, opened it then slowly walked in.

* * *

Santana managed to sleep a little more than the usual that night. When the morning came, she sent Dani to have breakfast with Rachel, mainly so she could help her and make sure she's fine and so the girl could get ready for their day together. She woke Kurt up and lay on top of him, telling him all that happened on the date and how crazy she feels. When she thinks she let it all out and Kurt is just about to kill her, Santana runs to take a shower and dress. An hour later, Santana puts her coat on and makes her way to her apartment. She can hear the girls from her side of the door and that gets her excited. She knocks and bites her lip; only hours passed, but she missed Rachel.

"Mama's here!" Dani happily exclaimed as she ran to the door, she answered the door and quickly clinged onto Santana. "Hi!" She rubbed her head against Santana's shoulder.

Rachel shook her head and chuckled. "I told you." She said while sitting up on the couch.

"She's just excited cause I'm gonna spoil her all day." Santana brush Dani's hair. "D, did you take care of your mom or spent the whole time texting?" She looks down with a raised eyebrow, then turns to Rachel, "How are you feeling?"

"Mom took my phone for the day.. So yes, I have been taking care of her." Dani gave a pout and looked back at Rachel.

Rachel kept her smile, "It's your time with your Mama, and she has her phone in case of an emergency." She explained. "And yes, I'm fine."

Santana smiles at the mother-daughter interaction. "Is Kurt going to come over? With your ankle, you should be with someone." She would've asked him, but if she didn't leave, he'd kick her out and she's not ready for that just yet.

"No I was going to, but I didn't want to impose on his plans." Rachel rubbed her eyes "Not to cut the conversation off, but I really didn't sleep much last night, and I'd love to get some rest as soon as possible." She said while yawning.

The Latina didn't want to leave Rachel by herself, but seeing that she's going to sleep, there isn't much she could do there. "Come on, Dani, let's go have some fun." She opens the door and looks back at Rachel, "Call me if you need or want anything. Bye."

Dani closed the door behind them, looked at Santana with a smile. "Mama, for my art class we are supposed to draw empowering figures in history." She said while they walked. "I was thinking of drawing Madonna, Joan of Arc, or Wonder Woman."

"Hm.. Varied choices, but if it's historical figures doesn't mean they need to be people who actually existed?" Santana wonders as they make their way to the car.

"Well, I opted for Wonder Woman because in her own right she is an empowering figure in history, being one of the first female comic heroes.. God, I feel nerdy." Dani's eyes widened at her realization. "I also had some male figures, but I don't think they're great choices."

"No, sweetie, you are right to include her. I have no knowledge when it comes to comics, sorry." Santana unlocks the car and gets in, "Buckle up your seat belt and tell me how are things with the girlfriend." Santana smirks.

Dani got in and blushed some at Santana's question. "Things are.." She said as she quickly put her seat belt on. "Things are okay, could be a lot better, but could be a lot worse." Dani bit her lip slightly then looked at Santana with worried eyes. "Marley is talking about either joining the Army or the Marines.."

"Oh.." She's glad that Dani told her herself, "You wanna tell me how you feel? I'm pretty biased, but maybe I can give you a different angle to look at this." Santana suggests while turning on the heat and starts driving.

"I feel so conflicted." Dani leaned against the arm rest of the door. "I am proud that she wants to do this, almost more than anyone else... But at the same time..." She looks to the floor and gulps. "I love her.. And I don't want her to get hurt, or to get killed.."

Thankfully, they stopped for a red light, because when Santana heard Dani's words she instinctively presses the brakes. "I understand. I used to think that every call my mom or I got was someone from the army calling to tell us something happened to Leo, same as knock on the front door." She decided it's best to keep calm about it; she wanted to help Dani, not make her feel worse. "I'm still carrying this fear with me every day. But I keep in mind that he and the other protecting us and they're heroes." She's tearing up, so she clear her throat, "She has time to decide if that what she wants and you have time to adapt. You have people that going through this, we can help."

"I guess so.." Dani frowned, still having the thought of losing Marley if she went to war in her head. "I wouldn't know what to do if I lost her, I really don't.."

"Don't think about, baby, not just yet. Enjoy your time being young." She places her hand on Dani's leg and runs it for a few seconds. "I promise, if and when the time will come, we'll have talks and I'll help you prepare for it. And if it'd help, Leo is coming for Christmas, you and Marley can talk to him about his side of things."

"Yeah, maybe." She kept her frown. "I am willing to support whatever she decides to do.. But I won't promise to like it.." Dani rested her hand on Santana's, grazing it gently.

Santana pulls into the parking lot and unbuckle her seat belt. She turns to Dani and takes a deep breath, "If we're already on unpleasant topics, I want to talk to you about something before we put it all behind us and go have fun. Is that ok?"

"Y-Yeah, sure." Dani looked over at Santana, nodding slowly. "What's up?"

"Beside my mom and brother, you're the only person I said 'I love you' to. I really do love you, Dani, so much. I know you struggle with things from your past and deal with it alone and you get nightmares about actual things that happened." She speaks softly and not taking her eyes from Dani, "You don't have to keep living with that and be scared. There are people who can help you and you deserve to reach the maximum level of happiness. It'd require you to face your past, but eventually, your soul will get the peace it needs." Santana's body is tense; she has no idea how Dani going to react and she's nervous something bad can happen and Dani would feel worse.

"Rachel thinks I may have P.T.S.D.." Dani mentioned. "She wants to have me see a therapist.. Do you think I need one?" She furrowed her eyebrows, lips quivering. "Am.. Am I crazy?"

"Definitely not, baby." Santana gives Dani a kiss on the cheek, "The people who were supposed to love and protect you ended up hurting and scarring you and that's not your fault, nor it makes you crazy. Lots of people seek help from therapists to get them through things." She explains, "Think about it; less nightmares, pain and fears. You need to take care of your mental health like you care for the physical. Think about it." Santana smiles and nudge Dani's arm.

"Did Rachel see a therapist when she had to deal with what she dealt with? You know.. With the miscarriage and all?" Dani unbuckled herself them shifted her body a bit to look at Santana better.

"I honestly don't know, dear." Dani gave Santana something to think about, but she's not sure if she'd ask Rachel about it, "We didn't have much money then, but your mom might've found a way, she's good with money. But I'm positive that she'd never suggest something that would harm you or make you feel bad and she'd never force you into anything. She loves you and wants the best for you." Santana takes Dani hands in hers, "We want you to be happy, D, but it's only an idea and you can't say no or not yet. And we'll be there when you have a nightmare and whenever you need us, that's for sure."

"Wh-When will you actually.. Physically be there?" She kept her sad look when she asked that. "I hate that I sneak to your room, and you're not there to hold me.."

Santana's heart break at the question, maybe she's been too selfish lately. "Soon, my love. I'll talk to your mom and we'll see." Coming back to her room, mean coming back to live with Rachel and she needs to make sure they're ready for that.

Dani let out a sigh, then nodded, "Okay.." She said before getting out of the car, keeping her eyes away from Santana, _'Nothing is right..'_

Santana sighs, 'Rachel is a natural at this mother thing, and I'm just causing more damage..' She gets out of the car and link her hand with Dani, trying to pull off a happy expression, hoping to cheer the girl up, "So, since my kid has a dorky side in her, are we going to shop for clothes or comic books?" She chuckles.

"How about clothes based on comics? Hot Topic is having a buy one. get one half off sale today." Dani gently nibbled her lower lip as she bats her eyes towards Santana's direction.

"Let's go get you some of these shirts." Santana starts walking, pulling Dani with her, "Does Marley into this too or just suffer you in silence because she loves you?" This side comes easy to her; fun and light teasing. Rachel would probably need to give her a course on the more serious side of motherhood.

"She's sorta into it." Dani leans her head against Santana's shoulder. "Not as much as I am, but she never complains when I bring up a comic, or when she sees me at the cafeteria looking up stuff on issues of this stuff." She explains while walking with Santana into the mall. "But mostly she is into thriller stuff, like movies, novels, she likes a good scare."

"Huh, maybe we should have a movie night together, what do you say? Some scary movies, some Marvels.. Can be fun. Unless you don't want to hang out with us, old people." Santana squeeze Dani's hand and raise her eyebrow in challenge.

Dani could easily tell Santana's sarcasm when she spills it, she looks up at her mama and smirked some. "We as in me, you, Rachel, and Marley? We as in me, you and Rachel? Or we as in me, you, Rachel, and that gray hair that's showing?" She stuck her tongue out.

Santana stops abruptly and glare playfully at Dani, "Careful, D, I might not buy you everything you point at if you'll keep insulting me. And I'm not that old and takes care of myself, there are nor will be any gray hairs!" She resumes the walking, "Your mom is not into these movies, she a different type of nerd, but we can convince her to join." Santana says, then muttered, "I'm surrounded with nerds, how did that happened?" And laughs.

"We all have things we geek about; if we so much as hobby it, we are categorized as that kind of geek." Dani pointed out as she looked at the various signs throughout the mall. "I am sure there is something you take pride in that you know a lot about, and I am even more sure that is one of the many things that help make you perfect."

"There isn't such thing is perfect, though you and your mom come close to it." Santana blushes, "And you're very smart, D and right." She gives her a warm smile, "Let's do some shopping and grab something to eat."

"Yes!" Dani cheered as she took Santana into Hot Topic.

The two spent a few hours shopping, eating and just walking around and talking before Santana drove them back home. She helps Dani carry some of the bags up the stairs and opens the door with her key, "We're home." She announces and knock on the door for Rachel to hear.

"Mom?" Dani unlocked the door then opened the door. "Hey.. Aw.." She smiled at the sight of Rachel being asleep. "Mama.. She's sleeping." Dani whispered towards Santana.

"Oh.." Santana bites her lip at how cute Rachel looks and wishes she could join her, "Put the bags in your room and we'll go to Kurt's." She whispers back.

"Wait, can't we show Kurt and Blaine... Well just Kurt the awesome T-Shirts you got me?" Dani turned and quietly bounced on her feet. "Please, please, please?"

Santana grins, "Yeah, totally. Go ahead, I'll join you in a second."

Dani quickly and quietly went past Santana, down the hall and to Kurt's front door. "Auntie Porcelain, answer me." She whined at the door.

Santana walks to Rachel and takes a look at her swollen ankle. She gets worried, but can't do anything while to woman is asleep. She takes the blanket that mostly on the floor and pull in on top of Rachel's body. She moves some hair of the woman's face and smile. Despite how much she wants to cuddle with Rachel and get a much needed sleep, Santana turns to leave and go back to Kurt's.

* * *

**Thoughts about the date, Dani and Marley and the quality time Santana and Dani had?**

**'till next time.**


	14. Chapter 14

**Co-written with Newphewsnixx.**

* * *

Dani and Santana spent the rest of their day talking to Kurt, and showing him the new shirts Dani picked out. Any chance that Santana had, while Kurt and Dani were distracted, she would leave to check up on Rachel, on occasions staying longer than a few minutes just to be sure that she is in fact okay. The question kept replaying in her head; did Rachel ever seek therapy for what she went through with her first and only pregnancy? If not, is she okay to function now? Santana obviously knew that Rachel was strong, but it would normally take someone of Superman strength to be able to deal with this and not get help from a licensed professional.

The next day hit and Dani felt like complete garbage, she could barely lift her body up from the bed; her nose was all stuffed up, and she was sweating like a marathon runner. She slowly stumbled over to the couch to see Rachel at work on studying new things for her class, it made the young girl smile to see Rachel so awake, if she wasn't feeling so crappy she would hold on to Rachel right there. "M-Mom." She called out, uncontrollably, making a 'buh' sound at the end of her M's.

"Hey, hon.." Rachel gasped at the sight before her, "My baby, you're sick." She pointed out as she tries to get up. "Oh god, ow, ow, ow." Rachel clenches her eyes as she limps to Dani, quietly muttering curse words in pain. "Dani, I want you to go lay down in bed and try to get some rest, I will go get Santana and see if she can help. Okay?" She asks. Dani nods and leaves to go back to her room. Rachel as quickly as she possibly could, left the apartment, limping down the hall, but then fell against the wall by Kurt's door. "Fuck, my ankle!" She held onto it and frowned, Rachel looked at the door and knocked on it a couple times.

Santana rubs her eyes and curses whoever on the other side of the door; she finally fell asleep, only for someone to wake her up. Santana gets up and goes to open the door, "Rachel?!" She quickly grabs on the woman, "What happened?!" She sees the pain in her eyes and worry fills her body.

"I was trying to get to you, so I would have some help with Dani. She got sick." Rachel frowned and kept rubbing her ankle. "But I think when I was walking I landed on it weird, and I fell." She looked up at Santana, sad eyes and all. "I know I should have texted you, but I wanted to make sure I got you.. I'm sorry."

"What am I going to do with you?" Santana shakes her head. "Sit down, I'll bring Dani and gets a coat and will drive to the hospital." Her voice still laced with sleep.

"I'm already sitting, Santana." Rachel gave Santana a slight smirk. "Don't take too long also, maybe we should get Kurt, or Blaine.. Blaine would be more of a benefit actually." she pointed out, then scooted over to the door. "Hey, Blaine! I need you to come with the ladies to the hospital!"

Santana rolls her eyes and goes to her apartment. She helps Dani put on some warm clothes and tells her to grab a tissue box and wait for her. Santana gets in her room and grabs the first coat she sees. Her tiredness is no long gone, now she's worried for her girls. She helps Dani and they walk to Kurt's and Blaine's. When Blaine is ready, the four slowly make their way to Santana's rented car and drive to the hospital. She tries not to cry when she sees in how much pain Rachel is, even though she tries to hide it, and how miserable Dani looks with her eyes puffy and red and sneezing every couple of minutes. They park and make their way in.

The visit was lengthy, thank god they had Blaine there to examine Rachel's ankle, as much as Santana hated the idea of anyone touching Rachel that wasn't her or Dani, she dealt with it. Blaine explained to the group that Rachel's ankle wasn't a pulled muscle, instead it was an actual severe sprain and how amazing it was that Rachel was able to walk on it as much as she did, and stressed how important it was that she rests with little to no movement on that ankle. Then the fitting of Rachel's ankle brace was a fun experience; Santana trying her best not to murder any doctors, reason she wanted to was because the multiple braces and how tight they put them on was indeed hurting Rachel, almost as if they were doing worse than what she's done. But eventually they got the right brace for her on, and they were able to send the group on their merry way back home. Unfortunately for Blaine he had to stay back since his shift started while they were getting braces for Rachel's ankle.

* * *

Santana helps Rachel up while wishing everyone who was involved in not placing an elevator eternity in hell. They reach their apartment and when they go in Santana instructors Dani to go to her room, telling her she'd come take care of her in a minute. She helps Rachel to her own room and, carefully, pulls her up on the bed. "How are feeling right now? Does the pills helping yet?" She sits next to Rachel and tries to hide how much she still worries.

"Yeah.. But I think I am loopy.." Rachel said as her eyes traveled around the room, "We have a lot of movies.. Like.. We look like we have Netflix, but with physical movies." She said while pointing towards the DVD rack.

Santana chuckles and cups Rachel's, "You'll be alright." She gets up and starts walking out, "I'm going to take care of Dani. Yell if you need anything."

Rachel was watching Santana leave, keeping her eyes towards the Latina's rear. "Santana.. Why is your ass so.. Like.. Pow!" She did an explosion hand gesture. "Like a Michael Bay film."

Santana turns her head to Rachel with a smirk on her face; oh, she loves high-Rachel. _'That's for the time you refused to try pot with me.'_ She thinks to herself and laughs. "I've been working really hard on it. Is it the only part you love about my body?" She's raising her eyebrow. She just wants to enjoy a bit more, then she'd go.

Rachel gave Santana a wide-eyed serious look, "I. Love. Everything. About. Your. Body." She said, leaving quite a bit of space between each word. "But your ass.. I am a vegetarian and I would love to manhandle that piece of meat." Rachel leaned towards Santana, but ended up falling to her side on the bed. "There is a lot I would do to you, if given a chance, and if I wasn't drugged." She raised her index finger up for a few seconds, then let her hand drop as she fell asleep.

The Latina stands there quite shocked. She looks at Rachel with hungry eyes for a long moment and thinks how she missed that body. She huffs and goes to wash her face. She makes Dani tea and toast and brings it to her with a new box of tissues and a pill to help with the cold. "Hey, baby. I brought you tea with honey and something to eat, because you need to take a pill." She explains quietly as makes her way in, "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine.." Dani was not able to speak coherently due to her being sick, she reached for the tea. "Does this tea have lemon?" She asked while trying to sniffle.

"No. You want some?"

"No.." Dani slowly shook her head and gave a slight smile, "I don't want to... T-To.." she quickly placed her teacup on the nightstand, then grabbed a tissue to sneeze in it. "To bother you." she leaned against the bed rest

"I'm your mom and I'm going to take care of you." Santana can't believe the sentence left her mouth, but it feels right. She referred to Dani as her daughter before and the child even calls her mama, but saying it in this moment makes her feel like a real one. Now she knows how it was supposed to feel all along. Santana checks Dani's forehead and feels how hot the kid is, "Eat the toast, D. You need to take something that'll help with the fever." She hands her the toast and goes to close the curtains a little, "The pill will make you sleepy, so I want you to have a good rest. Later you'll take a lukewarm bath." She wishes Rachel was there, she'd probably know how to help Dani better, but Santana does the best she can.

As much as she hated doing so, Dani had to eat the toast with her mouth open in order to breathe, she did her best to not have it too open in hopes Santana wouldn't be upset. When she finishes her first bite she looked at Santana with a slight gaze of curiosity. "Kn-Knowing what you know now, would you go back in time and make Rachel yours?" She asked.

"W-What?!" Santana's startled by the question.

"L-Like if you were able to relive and rewrite your past, knowing Rachel's feelings for you, would you make her yours?" Dani sniffed once then reached for her tea.

"No." She answers honestly, "We've been through so much pain that you'd think I'll say yes, but without it we wouldn't have you and we would be our stupid high school selves." Santana explains her answer, "Doesn't mean I'm not gonna make her mine now." She smiles at Dani and winks.

"If I could rewrite my past, I'd run all the way here the second my dad first hit me." Dani took a sip of her tea then placed it back on the night stand. "Then I would try to be a more serious musician, I still have that guitar that Elliot bought me, and I have yet to play it."

"It's not too late, Dani." Santana sits next to the girl, "You survived hell, but it's over. All your options are open and you can do whatever with your life whatever you desire." She caresses Dani's face, not giving a damn if she'd get sick too.

"I still feel like I am in my own personal hell, every time I try to sleep it's his fist, and when I just nap, it's my mom on some guy.. I can't escape that, and Rachel tells me to think of her, but it's hard to do so when I am trying to make the pain stop.." Dani sniffled as much as she could, but she was getting more and more irritated with her being sick. "Damn my cold, I want to be able to cry without screwing up a sob." she frowned as some tears fell down her cheek.

"Don't push it in. You need to let the snot out or else your sinuses will hurt too." Santana tells Dani, "I can't imagine your pain, but you don't have to keep suffering. You can't allow them to keep hunting you, Dani, and there are people who can help you with that." She moves her hand up and down Dani's leg, over the blanket, "If we can make it go away, we want to get you the help you need."

"I know I don't have to.. But it's so hard to not suffer.." Dani tells Santana with all the pain in her voice. "Imagine, every time you go to sleep, some fist comes out of nowhere and strikes your jaw.." She explained before reaching out for a tissue, then she blew her nose. "I need a waste basket of some sort.."

Santana clenches her jaw, she swear that if she'd ever see those people, she'd kill them. "I can't baby, that's why I'm pressing on the therapist issues; I really believe it can make your life easier, better." The Latina gets up and goes grab the small trash can Rachel has at the other side of the room, then puts it next to the bed.

"Yeah.." she sniffed. "I know, but what if it doesn't help?" Dani looked at Santana. "What if I'm never going to be normal again?" Her lips quivering slightly, Dani was in fear for sure. Not just for herself, but for Santana, Rachel, and Marley.

Santana sits close to Dani and pull her against her body, "You are normal, the fact that someone hurt you doesn't take it away from you." She can feel how hot Dani's body is and, surely, the current mental state doesn't help making her feel better, "With everything you do, you need to do your best and try your hardest. If it won't work, we'll try other things until we'll find that something that can. What do you say?"

Dani gave a slow nod. "O-Okay mama.." She said while resting her head against Santana's shoulder, slowly closing her eyes.

_'I guess I'm staying here for a while.'_ Santana relaxes into the pillow and brushes Dani's hair. She's so angry that Dani had to go through this, and when she finally escaped, it still haunts her. She told Dani, the first time they talked, that she'd always keep her promises and that's what she's going to do; Santana will find a way to help Dani get better, no matter what it takes. She lies with Dani for some time, holding her close and protecting her. At some point, Santana must go to the bathroom, so she, gently, rolls Dani off her. After she's finished, Santana stretch and goes to see what's going on with Rachel; she knocks once and slowly opens the door.

Rachel was sleeping in bed, gripping the pillow as tight as she could, the pillow was also partially covered in the blanket, as if Rachel felt like that could simulate holding Santana.

_'Did she always been so cute?'_ Santana leans on the wall next to her door with her arms folded and her bottom lip between her teeth. She wants to get into the bed so much; it is her bed and the woman sleeping in it is her best friend and, potentially, more than that and it's not like it'd be the first time they sleep together on the same bed. But she can't, not when things are still unclear and Rachel is injured and sleep. She settles for being a creep from afar, just for a little longer.

Slowly, Rachel's eyes open, frowning at the fact that once more she was hugging a pillow and not someone else. She sits up and sees Santana over at the end of the room, she gives a slight smile towards the other woman. "H-Hi.." She yawns into her hand while waving with her other hand. "How long have you been here?" She asks sleepily.

_'Great job, Lopez..'_ She mentally slaps herself. "Dani fell asleep, so I just came to check if everything's alright here. I'm sorry, go back to sleep, I'll go." She scratches her arm and the back of her head, embarrassed of getting caught.

"What? No.." Rachel pleaded as she shifts her body to try to get out of bed. "Don't leave." she was more than awake at this point, and terrified of Santana leaving once more. "I'll make us some tea or breakfast, or something." Rachel tries to stand up but her leg can't handle pain. "Ow.." She sits down.

"What are you doing?! I told you, not standing without my help and you only get up for the bathroom." Santana runs to Rachel and sit her back on the best. "Don't do it again, ok?" She cups Rachel's face, worried written all over her own.

Rachel looked up at Santana, sad eyes and all. "Don't leave.." She requested.

_'Those two will kill me some day.'_ Santana pecks the side of Rachel's lips and nods, "But you don't want anything to drink or eat? You don't need to go to the bathroom?" She helps pulling Rachel's legs back on the bed and sits next to her.

"No, I just.." She scratched the side of her arm gently. "I was just tired of sleeping in this bed alone.. I get nightmares every time I sleep on here." Rachel confessed, as much as she didn't want to do so.

"Nightmares about.." Santana couldn't say it, it hurts her so much to think of what Rachel been through and what she lost. She places her hand on Rachel's stomach at looks at her.

"Yeah.." Rachel nods, placing her hand on Santana's. "I keep thinking about what would have happened had my body been able to handle the pregnancy." She let out a sigh. "I just.. I don't know how I went on this long without losing it."

"I talked to Dani yesterday, about her going to treatment and she asked something I should've asked a long time ago," Santana doesn't move her hand from Rachel, "Did you ever went to see someone, to talk about it?"

"I should have.. Shouldn't I?" Rachel looked at Santana with worried eyes. "I only went to Kurt about this, no one else."

"It doesn't matter now, Rach. But you're still struggling, maybe you should go now." She places her other hand on Rachel's, "I don't want you to keep all this pain inside. You have so much to be happy about, so much you can achieve." She gives her a small smile, "You need to come to peace with it so you could fully enjoy your life, you deserve it."

Rachel returned the smile, keeping her gaze into Santana eyes. "You really are the best, you know that?" she asked while nuzzling Santana's neck gently. "Don't say you're not, otherwise I will force myself to stomp on the floor using my bad leg."

Santana chuckles, "Don't you dare!" She pulls Rachel to her, realizing just how much she missed them being like this, "When the two of you will get better, we'll start looking for a good therapist." She kisses her on the head.

"Alright." Rachel nods then grazes Santana's stomach, remembering the way her body feels with her hand. "You know, uhm.. I was thinking of.. Moving, to a house." She admitted while looking back at Santana. "I want you to come with, but I understand if you don't feel ready."

Santana releases her hold on Rachel, "You're taking her away from me?" Now it's her lips turn to quiver. "How can you even afford it with the renovations you want to do in the studio?"

"Santana, I'm asking you to move in with me, into a bigger home. Where it can be me, you, and Dani." Rachel held Santana's hand as tight as she could. "I decided against adding to the studio.. I wanted to give Dani her own room.. Make her life better.." Rachel looked down. "I wouldn't want to take her away from you.. Forget I said anything.."

The Latina sighs and closes her eyes; she doesn't want another fight with Rachel and she doesn't want to let her feelings and fear cause them to drift apart. She takes a deep breath and opens her eyes again, "I'm sorry." She says quietly, "I don't know, Rachel. Can we move in together? We kinda doing everything backwards; living together, having a kid, dating.. I'm.." She stops, her heart racing and she's nervous to speak her thoughts, but she knows she has to if she doesn't want to lose Rachel, "I don't want to live apart from you, but it's fast and.. I'm scared."

"Santana, we are talking.. Months down the road.. At least 6-10 months from now." Rachel assures Santana. "I wasn't meaning now.." She says while keeping close to the Latina.

"Oh, yeah, make sense.." Santana frowns at herself, "It's your fault.." She hugs Rachel back and clears her throat, "It's probably a good idea for the future. Our financial situation only gets better and she does need room and some stuff."

Rachel couldn't help but smile at Santana, "Exactly.. " She said as she adjusted herself a bit better. "Think about it though.. Me, you, and Dani.. A big backyard to do whatever we want.." Rachel held Santana a bit tighter. "We'd have 3 bedrooms, 2 and a half bathrooms, a fireplace, just.. The perfect house."

"Hey, hey, slow down, Rach. I like the idea, but you don't me to have a panic attack." She kisses Rachel's temple, "But it is one hell of a dream house." She smiles, "But what do you want to do for now? I need to go make us lunch soon.."

"I don't know, I think my laptop is in the living room and I need to send out a message to the teachers that I won't be making it to work for a few days." Rachel explained. "Also if I am gonna be rehabbing my leg I would like entertainment." She shrugged.

"So basically you want me to get you your laptop and get lost?" Santana smirks and raise her eyebrow.

"No.." Rachel frowned, "Do you have better things to do today? Do you not want to spend time with little ol' me?" She asked before sticking her bottom lip out. "Am I too geeky for you Miss Lopez?"

"I can think of one thing and you calling me that and your freaking lips only makes it harder to keep my hands on your waist." Santana bite her lip, then licks them, "But we've only been on one date and the idiot doctor told you to rest."

"Wanky?" She asked with her lower lip slightly bitten. "We both know if we did that, you'd be calling out my name as well." Rachel spoke with confidence in her abilities to satisfy Santana. "But yes, one date.. One.. Freaking.. Date.."

"Stop doing that." Santana put her index finger on Rachel's lips, "And our next date, if you want one, depends on you getting better." She brushes their noses against each other, "But for now, I need to get out of this bed." That's the last thing Santana wants to do, but there isn't much left of her self-control at this point, "I'll get you your laptop and make all of us lunch, after that it's bath time." She tells Rachel and starts to move slowly, so she could get out of the best without hurting Rachel.

"B-Bath time?" she asked with a huge blush across her face.

* * *

Approximately two hours later, the three women are close to finishing their lunch. Santana made her and Dani chicken breast, for Rachel she made rice and for all of them, she made some vegetables to go with the dishes. They all drank orange juice as well, to get some vitamin C. The Latina already planned to make a pumpkin soup for later, since she saw they have all the ingredients.

"Dani, you need to take the shower; get rid of the fever, change your clothes and it'd help you feel better." Santana tells Dani.

"Would you help me pick out some clothes, mama?" Dani asks, still suffering from a stuffed nose, but she feels less like garbage this time around. Which is good.

"Sure, but then you go straight back to bed and take another pill." She answers with a smile, "I'll get you my laptop if you don't want to sleep, but you need to rest." She finishes her food and looks back at Dani, "Do you need help in there, too?" Santana doesn't want to invade Dani's privacy, but she's more concerned that's something would happen to her.

"No. I can handle myself." Dani nodded as she stands up, and then starts to walk to her room. Rachel frowned a bit "Poor thing.. She sounds horrible." she pointed out.

"No I am good." Rachel smiled at Santana then went back to typing away on her laptop. "I got to go over the figures of the studio, then I need to make a few calls.. So I am gonna be a tiny bit busy." she explained before taking another bite of her rice.

"You can be busy until Dani is set in bed, then you take a shower and rest." Santana says.

"Yes, mom." Rachel rolled her eyes and gave Santana a playful smile.

"First, I'm sister, now your mom.. Are you trying to imply something, dear?" Santana asks with a cocky tone. She steps close to Rachel and rest her hand on her own waist. She looks a bit down on Rachel and bites her lip.

"That I like being playful with you?" Rachel answers as she bites her own lip. "Why do you ask?" She asks.

"Maybe you have unresolved issues." Santana chuckles and puts to hand on the other side of Rachel's chair, "Will you get everything done until I'll finish with D or I'll have to drag you from your computer?" She gets really close to Rachel's face.

"I-I'll get everything done.." Rachel's face lit up due to the closeness of the two women's faces. "Uh.." She looked at Santana's lips for a few seconds then looked back into her eyes. "Like I said, it'll get done."

At this moment, Santana kind of enjoying teasing Rachel a little, but she doesn't want it to go too far. "Good. I'll see you in a bit." She smiles and leaves to help Dani.

Dani was waiting for Santana; at various points in time she would nod off or yawn. "M-Mama?" she called out while yawning.

"I'm here, D." Santana enters the room and close the door. She stands in front of Dani and put her hand on the girl's forehead, "You're still warm.." She's saying more to herself, than to Dani, "You want to go in while I'll pick up something warm for you to wear?"

"O-Okay." She nodded then got off the bed, slowly walked to the door of the bathroom; she tossed her shirt to the bed then walked the rest of the way in, shutting the door behind her. "The hot water is gonna clear my sinuses, correct?" She asks.

"Yes, but not too hot or else you fever will raise more." Santana tells Dani and picks up for her a warm pajamas, "Do you want me to bring you the clothes inside or leave them here?"

The shower turns on, Dani steps in and lets the water hit her back, arching her body as it goes down her back. "Uh.. Yeah bring 'em in." She makes sure the shower door is closed before she starts washing her hair.

Santana picks up the clothes from the bed and gets in the bathroom with her hand on her eyes. She places them on the counter and turns to leave, "Be careful, Dani, I'll be right outside if you need anything." She tells the girl and walks out to sit on the bed.

"Yes mam!" Dani continued to wash herself, already feeling better compared to how she was feeling earlier that morning. "Mama! Why do showers feel greater when you're sick?" She asked.

Santana starts to laugh, "I don't know honey, it's more a question for Blaine. I guess it just makes us feel good when we're clean and the water relaxes us." Santana walks around the room and smiles at a picture of her, Rachel and Kurt.

Once Dani was good and clean, she turned off the shower, got out of it then started to dry herself off, she took notice to her reflection in the mirror. Dani leaned towards the mirror and smiled some "I am.. Freaking.. Beautiful." She winked at her reflection then looked at the clothes Santana laid out for her, she put on each piece of clothing rather quickly, then walked out of the bathroom. "All clean, mama." She announced.

"Hop the bed, sweetie." Santana smiles at Dani, "My laptop is on the nightstand so you could entertain yourself after your nap." She takes one pill from the pillbox, puts it back on the nightstand and grabs the water bottle.

Dani crawled on the bed and scooted over towards Santana. "Thanks Mama." She smiled a bit.

"Don't worry about it, you'd have to take care of us when we'll be old." Santana winks at the girl and hands her the medicine. She kisses her head a couple of times, "You're so beautiful, I love you so much." This day is making Santana feel like she's really a part of this family and she's getting comfortable with expressing her love for Dani. It's still weird for her to be someone's mother, but she's getting used to it and it actually amazing to her.

Dani took her medicine and blushed due to Santana's compliment. "Well, you are like a goddess of beauty." She looked up at Santana with a smile on her face. "I think I figured out who I will draw for my empowering figure project.."

"Who's the lucky woman?" Santana gets in the bed and pulls Dani close to her, then covers them with the blankets.

"My mama, Santana Lopez." Dani held on to Santana as tight as she could.

"Oh my.. Dani!" She leans on the headboard and looks at the pink haired girl with tears in her eyes, "Wh.. A-Are you sure? Me?"

"Yes." Dani simply states. "You are a pretty big influence to me, despite not being around so long.. I can be open with you, almost easily."

"Wow, Dani.." Her mouth opens and closes a few times. Some tears fall from her eyes as she pulls Dani for a tight hug. Santana really doesn't know how to react; she was never a role model, she was the example of how you shouldn't act, mainly in high school, when she treated almost everyone like crap. And now she has someone who looks up to her, relying on her and trust her. She wasn't ready to be a mom nor did she think she'd be good at it, but Dani became someone she can't and wouldn't want to live without. Maybe it started in a different way from most families, but they're one. "I'm so.. I'm.. Thank you, Dani. It means more to me than you can ever imagine."

"You're welcome Mama.. You're welcome." Dani nuzzled into Santana's embrace, placing a kiss on her shoulder. "You.. You mean more to me than you can imagine." She looks at the Latina, smiles and all.

"I never thought I can love someone like I love you, D." She wipes the tears from her face and wraps her hands around Dani's body again, "I'm proud and so happy you consider me as your mom. I'm always here for you, no matter what." The admissions come easily; Dani helps Santana more than the kid would ever know.

Dani's body warmed up in the best way possible, butterflies were swarming as if her heart was a luxury garden. Her eyes were unfortunately getting heavier, because she would be just set on seeing one of her moms and not be bored. After a small while, snoring was heard from the sleeping Dani.

"Little angel.." Santana murmurs. She naps for about ten minutes, then gets up. She looks at the sleeping girl, knowing very well that she's in possession of pieces of her heart. She's still scared and have no clue how to be a mother and raise a teenager, but Dani is happy and safe, that's all that matter to Santana. She leaves the room to let the girl sleep, she has another person to take care. She walks to the kitchen with her lips between her teeth and leans on the table, next to Rachel, with a huge grin on her face.

"Hey San." Rachel smiles as she closes her laptop, she looks over at Santana, seeing her smile made Rachel feel happier. "Why the huge grin there, Mr. J?" She asks in the best New Jersey like accent she could.

"Might have something to do with Dani picking me for a project on empowering figures and how much I love this kid." She says and her eyes lights up, "I could cuddle her forever if I could, she's absolutely amazing." She sighs in content.

"I love it when my girls get along." Rachel kept her smile. "Seriously, I'm happy she picked you as her empowering figure. You definitely are an empowering woman." she admits while reaching out towards Santana's hand.

Santana blushes, too many compliments and feelings for one day; she's not used to it. "She has two powerful women raising her. I've heard her other mom is crazy good looking, runs a successful business and has a huge heart." She says without taking her eyes off of Rachel. "Are you done with everything you had to do?" She asks, looking at the computer and back to Rachel.

"Yeah, just finished my work." Rachel said. "Help me to the bath?" she asked and blushed at the thought of Santana doing that.

"Yeah, let's do it." Santana helps Rachel get up and they walk together to the bathroom. Santana sits Rachel on the chair she brought there earlier and stands straight. She knew it'd have to happen at some point, but now that the time arrived, Santana gets really nervous; there isn't anything sexual about it, but she's still going to see Rachel's body and it's not going to be so easy. "Ok, so I brought some nylon bags to put on the brace.." She says as she opens the faucet and let the hot water fill the tub, "Now, let's get you undressed." She steps towards Rachel.

"I.. I think I can do this myself." Rachel, nervous about letting Santana undress her, and rightfully so. She slowly takes her shirt off, her cheeks were a shade of pink, mostly due to Santana being there.

Santana wasn't sure what to do; turn around? She has already seen Rachel naked.. Keep looking? That'd be weird and creepy. She settles on slightly turning around and keep thinking of things she need to do in the club and bills to pay and reasons to annoy Kurt some more; everything, just not thinking about being in a small room with a naked Rachel Berry. Of course it doesn't help, her heart is beating like crazy and her mouth dry.

Rachel pushed part of her pants down, but due to her brace, the leg gets caught. "S-Shit.." she mutters trying to push the pant leg down. "Okay.. I can't do this by myself.." Rachel admitted defeat, frowning slightly. _'Just what I need..'_

"Let's do it quickly," Santana turns around and gulps, "T-The water is getting cold and we don't want you getting sick like Dani." She bends over and pulls down Rachel's pants together with her underwear. It's obviously awkward for both of them, so it needs to end fast.

Rachel was not ready for this, not at all. She carefully got up, walked to the bath, being even more careful about getting into the tub. When she's in she rests her bad leg on the lip of the bathtub. "Thanks.." She tried to give a smile but was still embarrassed.

"God, you're gorgeous.." Santana can't control herself and mumbles when she sees Rachel standing and getting in the tub. "I'm sorry.." Santana shakes her head, "Try to relax, the water will make you feel better."

Rachel closed her eyes, took a few deep breaths, and then looked up at Santana. "S-So.. Uh.. I'm sorry for this morning.."

"Sorry for what?" Santana steps to the mirror and check her appearance, trying to give Rachel some privacy.

"I didn't mean to scare you, I only wanted to get some help for Dani.." Rachel explained while gently dipping head in the water. "Didn't expect it to turn into a visit the hospital." she chuckled lightly.

Santana smiles and turns around, leaning backwards on the counter, "You don't need to apologize, Rach. I wouldn't trust anyone else to look out for you, anyway." She averts her eyes for a moment, then looks back at Rachel, "Just next time, don't risk your own health; it's hard enough to worry about one of you.."

"I wouldn't risk it normally, just for people I care deeply about.." The brunette scooted towards the edge of the tub, resting her head on her arm, keeping her eyes focused on Santana. "I'd do it if you were sick as well, as long as you both are safe I will walk miles upon miles on my fucked up ankle to help.."

"It's very touching, Rach, but it won't do anyone any good if you'd get hurt." Santana says, "You need to keep yourself safe and not only for your own good anymore." She moves her hair to her right shoulder and folds her arms, "She just got a family and we're only getting started, not that I mind taking care of you." Santana bites her lip and chuckles.

"Yeah.." was all Rachel said as she readjusted herself, looking at the ceiling. "You know.. Sometimes, I do wonder if my baby had lived, if I would still adopt Dani.." She mentions.

"You shouldn't think about it too much; there is nothing you can do and it only makes you feel bad." Santana moves uncomfortably, she's not good at these sorts of things and never know what to say, "But if you're asking me, I think you would've. You and Dani had a special connection from the start and with your huge heart, you'd never leave her there."

"Yeah, I probably would have.." She lets out a sigh then she takes her glasses off. "San, could you hold on to my glasses please?" Rachel asks.

Santana nods and steps forward, taking Rachel's glasses from her.

Rachel dips her body under water, then lifts back up, blowing the water that hits her lips. "Okay.. Could uhm.. Could you help wash my hair? I'd do it myself but.. Kinda can't tell what is what.."

Again, Santana nods and crouch behind Rachel. She takes the shampoo and slowly massages Rachel's head. She only saw glimpses of Rachel's pain and it hurts her to know a woman she cares about so much had to go through this. Santana's frustrated and angry that two of the closest people to her suffer on a daily basis and she can't do anything to help them. She finds an area on Rachel's forehead that isn't cover with soap and kisses it, then stands back up and goes to wash her hands.

"This brace sucks, Santana." Rachel gives a pout while stating the obvious. "I hate not being able to function, or be active, I kinda need something to keep me on my toes and I can only stand on one leg." She crosses her arms and stares off towards the ankle brace, despite not being able to see it.

_'No, she can't pout.. I can find the strength to handle her being naked, but this pout would kill me..'_ Santana takes a deep breath and looks at Rachel's brace, instead of her eyes. "We'll find something to do once you're done here, but you must rest or else you'd be stuck in bed for a long, long time." She's raising her eyebrow, "Are you planning on staying there for much longer? You might turn into a duck or something." Santana says and giggles.

"Well I guess it explains why my nose is big, huh?" Rachel returns the giggle then nods. "Yes, I'm done." she looks around the room. "I kinda need my glasses back, unless you want to be my eyes from here to the bed."

"You'll get them wet and you won't see anything with all the steam, let me help you." Santana grabs the towel and stands in front of the bath, "Drain the tub and I'll help you get up and to my room." She opens the towel in a way she won't be able to see Rachel's body and waits.

"Fine.." Rachel slowly stands up. "Am I facing you?" She asks while trying to look around.

Santana giggles, "Cute.. Come here." She leans towards Rachel and wraps the towel around her body and pulls her against her, "Don't step on the injured foot." Santana tells Rachel as they start walking to her room.

"Thanks again San, you really are the best." Rachel proudly admits while doing her best to keep off her injured ankle, if she could see she would look at Santana and smile at her. Sadly she deals with blindness until she gets her glasses back. "Where's the bed?" She asks as she reaches her hand out.

"Right here." Santana helps Rachel on the bed, "Your clothes are right next to you. You get dressed and I'll get you something to drink and bring you back your glasses." She looks around and leaves the room.

* * *

There was a bit of time till diner needed to be made, Santana took this time to relax and do some reading since she's been up and at it all day, she deserves a little break before having to make dinner for her, Rachel, and Dani. Rachel on the other hand was killing time by playing Flappy Bird; she figured that because it's been years since she played it that it would be a good time killer, and it would if she didn't die on the 7th jump. But unlike how she acted with Mario, Rachel was calm and collected after dying so much in that little game. Rachel set her phone down and took notice of how Santana looked when she reads, how her eyes gaze upon the book before her, seeing her lips barely mouth the words on the page, it was something that Rachel could watch for days on end.  
Suddenly, her body shifted closer to Santana's, her heart was racing at what she was going to do. "S-Santana.." Rachel quietly whispers.

"Hm..?" Santana asks, not moving her eyes from her book.

"I need.. I need to kiss you.." Rachel gulped as she tries to calm herself but isn't completely able to.

Santana turns her head to the side, her mouth slightly open, "W-What?" She glance at Rachel's lips, biting her own.

Rachel placed her hand on Santana's cheek, pushing her lips against the other woman's. Her tongue trying to slide against Santana's.

Santana feels her body is on fire, she throws her book to the side and turns her body to the side. She place a hand on Rachel's shoulder an pulls away, "A-Are you sure?" She asks and lick her lips.

"Yes.." Rachel nodded while biting her lip slightly. "Please.." she takes a few breaths as her face tints a shade of pink.

"Come here!" Santana cups Rachel's face and press her lips against hers. She takes Rachel's plump lips in hers, sucking on them a bit, then push her tongue in Rachel's mouth. Santana's hands hold Rachel's waist and she closes some of the distance between their bodies.

Rachel kisses back, almost as if she never kissed Santana before, hell that was pretty much every kiss that she and Santana shared. It had that spark that Rachel loved to feel, the passion that made the kiss even better than before. She places one hand on Santana's hip as she slides her tongue against the Latina's.

Santana doesn't want to hurt Rachel's ankle, so she only presses her top half on Rachel's body. She can't help the moan that escapes her mouth and she deepens the kiss. She missed it so much; the touch, the intimacy, the smell and how alive she feels with Rachel.

Rachel moved Santana's leg over her waist, she then moves her hand towards her upper body. Rachel pressed her palm against the side of Santana's breast, she sucks on Santana's bottom lip and gently nibbles on it.

"Fuck, Rach!" Santana throws her head back and moans. She's a very sexual person with a high sex drive, she used to have sex on a daily basis and she didn't for about a week. Now she has Rachel kissing her with so much passion and her body on top of Rachel's and the woman touch her like that.. Santana close to losing herself. She looks down at Rachel with lust in her eyes and she doesn't know what to do. She bites Rachel's swollen lips a few times, then looks in her eyes, "I can't get enough of you." She says against Rachel's lips.

"I-I can't get enough of you either.." Rachel admits as she regretfully breaks the kiss, her breath shaky from the sensation Santana gives her. "Y-Your kisses.. Every time we kiss, it feels like the first time our lips connect.." She confesses as she gently strokes Santana's cheek.

Santana pecks Rachel's lips a few times, "When you get better, we need to have a talk. I want so much, but I can't with our fight hovering above us." She says honestly, "But I don't want to move away just yet."

"Santana, I'm not sick, I just have a bad leg right now." Rachel points out with a chuckle in her voice. "I'm fully capable of having an important conversation." she bites her lower lip while running one hand against Santana's stomach. "What do you want to talk about?"

"I wished we wouldn't have to talk.." Santana leans on her side, close to Rachel and one of her legs rests on Rachel leg. "I feel highly uncomfortable doing this and I'm kinda nervous we'll fight again.. I don't I can handle going through it again." She's having trouble being open and look Rachel in the eyes.

Rachel slowly nods and smiles at Santana for at least trying to be honest. "I understand, and I'm sorry for making it seem like I was rushing us.." She says while her hand grazes Santana's arm. "Things are different, the good kind. I mean, despite my ankle being messed up.. This was the best week for me."

"Our date was amazing and I think, maybe, I can do this because it's you and it feels so good." She plays with the hem of Rachel's shirt, "But I'm scared of how strong my feelings and what would happen if it won't work.." She stops for a second, "Yeah, we had our perfect date and I had some time with Dani, but then I went back and slept alone on Kurt's couch.. Well, there wasn't much sleep involved because I couldn't sleep well, even when I was in the apartment across the hall." She admits and feels her heartbeats racing, "I'm scared of getting into it again and.. And n-not be good enough or hurting you."

"You're more than good enough for me." Rachel rubs her nose against Santana's. "I am actually scared myself, in fact more than you would think.." She admits. "I had to tell myself that I was worth something, and that I mattered just to be able to talk to you.. Even now, as easier as it is for me to talk to you, I fight that battle when our eyes lock, and when we touch each other.." She blushed at the many ways her words could be taken, mostly she hopes that Santana gets what Rachel is saying. "There is never a time that I don't fight the battle of not being good enough, but when you smile because of me.. I know I am.."

"Rach, I've wrong you in so many ways and for so many years.. Then I grew up and I saw how good of a person you are and you made me better." Santana tells Rachel, "I fight myself as well; to allow myself to feel, not to run away, to speak honestly and not hide behind sarcasm or mean comments." Her body sweat, but she doesn't let go of the hand that hold tightly on Rachel's shirt, "Y-You give me that perfect life I secretly dreamt of in high school.. But that's what scares me; you and Dani are e-everything and you c-can e-easily b-break it., break me." Her lips quiver a bit, "I keep replaying our fight in her head and it's like someone punch me in the stomach every damn time."

"Santana.." Rachel rested her forehead against the other woman's. "You know me.. I wouldn't do that to you, no matter how mad I get.. Not when it affects so many people I lo.. I care for.." She tries to assure Santana the best she can. "That fight, I-I'm sorry, I want to take it all back, I really do.. I've been crying on that pillow almost every night since we got home. Dani always asks me every morning if I am okay, and it scares me that she listens in on my crying.." Rachel holding back as much tears as she could. "I hate that you aren't here, Santana. I hate myself for driving you away, and I wish I was a better person so I could be enough for you.. You don't know how much I want to be enough.."

"You are, babe, you're so much more than that." The Latina tells Rachel sincerely as she can, "And there were two people there.. I'm sorry, I was selfish; it was easier to act like it's all about sex and have you so close, than to face how I feel and act like an adult." Santana shakes her head and feels some tears rolling on her face, "I have things to work on, but I never had someone who worth the trouble.. Not until you, until I felt how it is without you." She bites her lip, then gulps, "I'm going to make many mistakes.. But you gotta promise me you won't take her and you won't give up on me. Because I'm telling you, Rachel, I won't recover." That's it, it's out there. Santana has never been so vulnerable, but she can't be away anymore so she'd risk it.

"I'd never leave you, hon.." She sniffles once. "Y-You're my girl after all.. If I gave up on you, I might as well give up on myself as well.." Rachel's eyes watered up a bit. "I-I know damn well you wouldn't allow me to give up on myself, so I can guarantee that I won't give up on you.. Ever."

Santana gives Rachel a passionate kiss and keeps her lips on Rachel for a long moment. "Can we just agree to never involve Dani in our arguments?" Santana keeps her face close to Rachel's.

"O-Of course.." Rachel smiles at Santana then gives her one more kiss. "I just realized you're on top of me, and really close.." She blushes some but holds on tighter. "I'm really comfortable.."

"You won't make it easy on me, huh?" Santana brushes her nose on Rachel's and giggles, "You know, I started doing this because I wanted to kiss you so freaking badly, but forced myself to follow the rules." Santana admits and blush.

"You mean you didn't actually want to take care of me?" She asks in a playful tone then bites her lower lip. "W-Will you come back?" Rachel asks in a slight worried tone. "Please?"

"Only if you'd sleep here with me." Santana smiles, "But I'm warning you, I might trade your cuddles with Dani's from time to time." Santana sticks her tongue out and giggles.

"So like.. We'd share a room, meaning I get to move my clothes in here as well?" Rachel asks with some hope in her eyes.

"No, I only want you hugs." Santana shakes her head and gives Rachel a kiss on the cheek, "I'll make you some space in the closet and drawers." She says while kissing Rachel's face, "Again, I need to warn you, you might stumble on some things that would make you blush." Santana smirks.

"Those things won't make me blush like you do." Rachel carefully strokes Santana's back. "Strange.. I am now legitimately hungry, and I do love your cooking quite a bit." she points out then places one kiss on Santana's nose. "What's for dinner?"

"Pumpkin soup. It's pretty cold and it'd help Dani feel better." Santana says proudly, "You want anything else, ma'am?" Her fingers caress the exposed skin that revealed due Rachel's shirt rising up.

"Salad, with Cesar dressing and croutons.." Rachel's eyes traveled down the Latina's back, then her hand gently grips Santana's rear. "Maybe with some of your prime ass as a side?" She jokingly asked.

"You yet to take me on a date and already want the goods?" Santana smirks and let her hands travel up and graze under Rachel's breasts.

"W-What are you doing tomorrow?" She whispered before kissing Santana's neck. "Because I'd love to take you a night on the town." Rachel smirked a bit. "My treat?"

"Babe, you can barely leave the bed." Santana's tempted to cup Rachel's breasts, but she doesn't; she only moves her hands a bit higher. "When you'd feel better, no rush." She smiles, "How hungry are you? I wanted to take a shower, but I can do it later.."

Rachel's face lit up a bit. "San.. Are we official now?" She asked as she bit her lower lip.

"Not what I asked." Santana giggles, "We went on a date, and we plan to go on another.. That means we're dating, no?" She grins and press her body closer to Rachel.

"You know what I mean.. Like.. Never mind, I don't wanna ruin the good moment." Rachel shook her head and held Santana even tighter. "I'm not extremely hungry, I can wait while you shower."

"Rach, you can talk to me.. You need to.. I'll get better with how I react to things, I promise." She pecks Rachel's lips and gets up from the bed. She walks to her closet and grabs new clothes to wear, Can we switch rooms with D? I'd save me some time getting undressed and walking all the way to the bathroom.."

"We'd have to talk to Dani about that before we make any decisions, I did give that room. It'd be rude to make her leave a room she's used to." Rachel explains while keeping a close eye on Santana.

"Yeah, you're right.." Santana takes the clothes out and takes her shirt off, "Lea is coming over for Christmas, is going to stay in a hotel and you know what that means.." Santana grins and takes her pants off, "Heated pool, massages, room service.." Her smile gets bigger as she grabs her robe.

"You had me at heated pool." Rachel joked as she tries to get comfortable once again. "I almost forgot about Leo coming over this Christmas, I also need to plan some stuff out for when that time comes.. Even if we have a few weeks, it still wouldn't hurt."

"Right now, focus on getting better, then we'll figure it all out." Santana tells Rachel as she put the robe on and kiss her cheek, "Ok, I'll take a quick shower and make us dinner." She smiles and walk to the door.

"Yes ma'am." Rachel smiles over at Santana as she leaves._'I love how things are now..'_ She bit her lip then yawned once. _'I feel tired, maybe I can nap real quick..'_

* * *

Santana took a quick shower, but it helped with getting some energy back and loose tension. This day was crazy, hell these two weeks were like a roller coaster. But she and Rachel had a good talk and Santana thinks that if she'd try hard and work on herself, it can work and they can happy. After she dried her hair, Santana made dinner and by the smell, she did a very nice job. She called Dani to the table and brought Rachel. The young girl seemed to start getting better, but she needed the food to get her strength back and more rest. The three ate their dinner and talked about random topics, just like a real, stable, loving family. During the meal, Santana and Rachel exchanged smiles and the three of them laughed at a story Dani told. When they were done, Santana helped Rachel back to bed and washed the dishes while Dani got ready for bed. Santana went into Dani's room to make sure she took her medicine and have water. She kissed the girl good night and told her she'd be in her room if she need anything, she made Dani promise to wake her up if anything happens. Then, Santana took her laptop and closed Dani's door.

Santana stands in the middle of the apartment and take a deep breath in and exhale. It was a long day, but it's over and her girls are fine and their home is clean. After brushing her teeth, she makes her way to her room and take one shirt off, staying with a tank top because it's too hot there. She crawls into the bed and nuzzles Rachel's neck. "I need to do some work, but all I really don't want to." Santana tells Rachel and pecks her neck.

"Mm.." Rachel looked at Santana, her hand gently stroking the hip of the other woman. "Well," She lifts Santana's chin gently "What do you want to do?" asked the brunette.

"You." Santana smirks and chuckles, "No, really, I just want to get a full night's sleep; I'm exhausted and you're comfy." She bites her lip.

"Well darn." Rachel let's go of Santana's waist. "I was hoping you'd want to touch me." She frowned as she slightly unbuttoned her pajama shirt, rubbing her chest. "My breasts have been a pain today, I think because they miss your hands being on them." Rachel bit her lip and gives a smirk back towards the Latina.

Santana's jaw drops and she's fifty percent sure she's drooling, "You're an evil woman.." Santana eyes fixed on Rachel's chest and her hands get under the woman's shirt, "It wouldn't be nice of me to let them miss me, right? I get to have you, after missing you.. And I am here to help you feel better." It's been a rough day and after not doing anything for about two weeks, Santana's self-control is barely there. Her eyes almost come out of their holes watching Rachel like this.

"I bet if they got to feel how much you missed them, I would feel all sorts of better." Rachel winked as she lets her chest rise up a bit, she looked at Santana while biting her lip some more.

"Rach, you're not being fair.." Santana pouts and scratch Rachel gently under her shirt, "I won't be able to only give them attention if we start.." Her body feels warmer, "You're mean.."

"Okay, I'm sorry." Rachel stops her teasing then places a gentle kiss on Santana's lips. "I'll be nice." She places her hands down and keeps her gaze on Santana.

Santana keeps her eyes on Rachel's breasts, "What if I can't behave?" She looks up, into Rachel's eye, her own dark and full of lust, "You need to tell me we can't or I won't stop." Her hand travel higher and her chest rise and falls fast.

"Okay, we can't do this right now. But I wouldn't mind sometime in the very near future.. Like later in the week? When we are alone?" She suggests as she carefully moves Santana's hand out of her shirt. "I am sorry for teasing you that was inappropriate of me to do."

"You don't need to apologize, ever!" Santana says after taking a couple of breaths to calm her body, "You're so cute and sexy.. God.." She cups Rachel's face and kiss her a few times, "I want to suggest something, but it's kinda stupid because we already slept together and we really want it and.. Yeah, kinda stupid, I don't know.." Santana leans on her side and looks at Rachel.

"What do you want to suggest?" Rachel moves closer to Santana, gently pressing her forehead against the Latina's. "I highly doubt it's stupid, I won't judge."

"I want to wait." Santana says and glance down for a second, "We were all about sex the last time and I love sleeping with you, I do, but I don't want our relationship to be about that and.. Our real first time making love should be special." Santana feels so nervous saying those things, she feels like a teenager again who wants her first time to be a special. "Like, maybe after one or two more dates, have a nice night to ourselves.." This is the side only one other person saw and now Santana lets Rachel in and more importantly, letting a part of her that was locked come out.

"Now how was that stupid?" Rachel asked as she stroked Santana's cheek, she gently nuzzles Santana's nose, followed with a quick peck. "That was the opposite of stupid, and I too want to wait.. I am glad you took the initiative to say something, that shows you've definitely improved as a person, not that you needed that validation, but it should also be something that proves this to you as well."

Santana smiles shyly, "Thank you, it means a lot when you say it." She licks her lips because they always get dry when she's nervous.

"So tomorrow, I was wondering if.. I don't know.. If you wanted uhm... Shit why is this so hard." Rachel threw her arms up.

"It doesn't have to be, babe." Santana puts her hands on Rachel's waist and scoots closer, "Before everything we were best friends and now we're working on upgrading it, so you can tell me anything. I want the real Rachel, don't hold back on me." She smiles and brush their noses together.

"Tomorrow night.. Is the premiere of Master Chef, and I was curious if you maybe wanted to watch it with me? If you have work that's totally understandable, but Dani is gonna be working on her art project and any homework she missed tomorrow since she's still sick.."

"I'm planning to work from home until both of you are well, that's one." Santana looks up at Rachel with a smile, "And I'd love to watch it with you. I'll finish everything until it starts and we can order in."

"Sounds like a plan." Rachel pulled a blanket up over her. "If you're not gonna do the work you need to do tonight, then you can hold me while I sleep." She playfully demanded, although really wanting Santana to hold her.

"I can, if that's what you want.." Santana rolls her eyes, then giggles, "I'm going to cuddle you until forever. Now, because my girls woke me up so early, I'm done." She moves closer to Rachel and wraps her arms around her, "I missed this and I need my beauty sleep and finally I'm going to get one." Santana closes her eyes and kiss Rachel's neck, "Turn the light off, babe, and let's sleep."

Rachel reached the lamp, tapping it twice to turn it off. She then placed her glasses on the night stand beside her, then placed her hand on Santana's arm. "Good night, San." She softly said as she closes her eyes to go to sleep.

* * *

**Thoughts?**

**'till next time.**


	15. Chapter 15 - Part I

**Written with Newphewsnixx.**

**Part I [Of what, you ask? Just wait and see ;) ]**

* * *

It's been a couple of weeks since Santana returned home and Dani was extremely happy; she got her mama back and things between her moms' looks much better. On more than one occasion, Dani sneaked to their room and got to cuddle with them. She didn't want to bother her moms, but when her fears got the best of her, she couldn't stay alone in her room. Now, Dani and Marley finished their last class and now the Winter Break is officially on. They're walking together back to Dani's home to hang out for a little while.

"Any special plans, except spending time with your girlfriend?" Dani asks and gives Marley's hand a little squeeze.

"Well." Marley gave a little squeeze to Dani's hand as well. "I'm going to an audition, not mine, Elliot's." She mentions. "I was going to ask if you and your moms' wanted to join, it may boost Elli's confidence if you did."

"That's so cool! Audition for what?" Dani smiles, feeling excited for her best friend, "And when is it? I'll ask them, I'm sure they'll come; they love Elliot."

"He's auditioning for a production of 'RENT' but I don't know what character he's auditioning for." Marley shrugged and stopped her walking. "He won't tell me, I guess it's meant to be a surprise?"

"Are you serious?! That's freaking amazing! I'm there for sure!" Dani almost jumps; it is, after all, her favorite musical, "I'm sure he'd get it, he's very talented." Dani keeps walking, pulling Marley with her, "We're going to do things together, just us, right?"

"Of course we are, we have a couple weeks of complete fun ahead of us." Marley pressed her hand against the waist of Dani's, giving her soft kisses to the side of her head. "What are you doing on Christmas?"

"Uncle Leo is coming; we're going to spend some time with him." Dani tells Marley while looking around and enjoying this moment, "Mom said she wants us to do some things together, but I'm not sure she'd get Santana out of the house in this weather." She turns her head to Marley, "Would you like to join us if we'd do something cool? I can ask, I'm sure they won't mind, you're family."

"I'd love to, and I am sure my family won't mind, we didn't have anything going for this year's Christmas." Marley nodded and smiled, she kept as close to Dani as she could.

The girls keep talking until they reach Dani's building. They make their way up the stairs, then Dani unlocks the door and they get in. "Mom, you home?" She calls a bit loud and closes the door.

Rachel leaned over the counter to see the two young girls walk in "Hello, love birds." she smiled then moved back to do a little spin. "How was school?" Rachel asked while bobbing her body to the music she was playing.

Marley raised an eyebrow "Is your mom usually like that?" she asked as she walked in a bit more.

Dani looks between her mom and Marley with confusion written all over her face, "I'm not sure.." She tells her girlfriend and steps towards Rachel, "Good. What made you so happy, mom?"

"My awesomeness made me happy, darling." Rachel danced her way to Dani, taking her hands and doing a mini tango with her. "I am going back to Broadway in mid-January. The Sound of Music and I got the lead." She smiled down at her daughter then looked at Marley. "There is some soda in the fridge, and you two need to ease on it, last time she was here, the soda magically went away."

"Mom, I can't believe it!" Dani hugs Rachel tightly, "It's amazing! Congratulations, you're going to be the best, for sure!" She's never seen her Rachel performs, but she heard she's super talented, especially from Elliot. Now she got a chance to see her live and already excited. "Have you told mama? She's going to freak!" Dani giggles just by thinking about it.

"No, I haven't, I figured I would surprise her tonight." Rachel said before walking back to the kitchen. "Also Dani, on Monday we're going to Elliot's audition." She mentions while putting the last dish in the dishwasher.

"Wait, how did you know Elliot had an audition?" Marley tilted her head in confusion.

"He tweeted about it, and sent me an invite on Facebook." Rachel looked at Marley as if she was crazy.

Marley's eyes widened a bit, "Who still uses either of those things?" She asks.

"Pretty much everyone in the theater scene?" Rachel answers as if it was obvious.

"Mom, it's a little weird you talk to my best friend.." Dani frowns and walks to get her and Marley something to drink, "But yeah, I wanted to ask you about that.." She pours them soda and hands one glass to her girlfriend, "I'm very happy for you, mom! Come on, Marls." She tells Rachel and pulls Marley to her room.

"Girls, leave that door open!" Rachel called out. "Also, I don't talk to him; I just have him added on outdated social media sites!" She grumbled then stormed over to her room.

Marley chuckled at the interaction between her girlfriend and Rachel "It's almost like you two are legitimately related." She points out as she sits on Dani's bed.

"We get that a lot.." Dani says and take off her coat, "I wish she was, that way everything could've been perfect and not horrible.." She sighs and sits next to Marley. "It's so cool that she's going back to acting, I can't wait to see her on stage!" Dani change the subject and leans back on the bed.

"I know! Both our families have someone that will be in the theater, it's so amazing." Marley said as she took a sip of her drink. "Mm!" she stopped to look at Dani. "So, what do you want to do for next year?"

"Hmm.. Not much actually." She turns around to get a better look at Marley, "I'd like to go back to music; play, maybe sing. I just need to find the confidence." She bites her lip before continuing, "And.. I w-want the nightmare to go away and for all of us to just be happy together. I want to be from them.." Her voice breaks a little at the end.

"That's why you have us.." Marley points out as one hand goes against Dani's back, moving in a circle. "We're here to make sure you are happy, that your life doesn't continue being a nightmare that you try to escape from.

Dani smiles a small smile, "Thank you for being amazing. I love you." She blushes a bit and her smile gets bigger. "And what are your plans?"

"Honestly, I don't know." Marley rested her head against Dani's. "Part of me wants to do other things than choir.. Don't get me wrong, I love it and the people there are amazing to me. But I don't see myself being the next Rachel or Elliot, I want to be myself.. I love music." She tries to explain, but is unsure if she is even making sense.

"You don't need to decide right now, we're still young.. Who knows what's going to happen." Dani adjusts her body to be more comfortable, "You know you love music, that's a start.. You have time to figure what you want.. Try different things, see what catch you and go for it. I believe you'd be the best at whatever you'll choose." Dani tries to make Marley feel better and more sure of herself.

Marley gazed at her soda, pursing her lips slightly. "I know I don't need to decide, but I always plan my life ahead.." She admits nervously. "Or at least the things I want to do in my life, I like to plan.."

"So work to get one. Make lists, try and fail until you find your passion." Dani cups Marley's face, "I'd take time, but I'll be by your side the whole time and sooner or later you'll find it. The road to it is as important and you need to enjoy it and learn from it; that's how you'll be ready when the moment arrives." Dani speaks and never takes her eyes from her girlfriend's.

Marley was fighting every urge she could to not kiss Dani right then and there, and there wasn't really anything stopping her. "O-Okay." she smiles a bit as she gently brushes her nose against Dani's.

"Don't I get a kiss for how awesome I am?" Dani grins and bats her eyelashes.

"No." Marley gives a smirk followed by a soft kiss on a lip to Dani. "You get a kiss because I love you." she keeps her smirk. "Your awesomeness is just an added bonus to the reasons I adore you."

"I love you too, and I'm so lucky to have you." Dani gives Marley a long kiss before pulling away with a content smile.

"Ah.." Marley's breathing was a little shaky from how much she loved the kiss. "I can't get enough of that, D." Marley blushed some as she took another sip of her soda.

* * *

The evening comes and the girls still in Dani's room, talking and giggling. It's almost time for dinner when Santana gets home. Her day was mostly relaxed, except one phone call that took all her energies, and left her cranky. She knew it wouldn't be a good idea to go home like that; instead she went to the gym for an hour and let most of it out. She walks in, puts her keys in their place and taking off her coat, "Rach? Dani?"

Rachel walked out of the kitchen, her mood once again happy as she took Santana, held her close, and then planted a big kiss on her lips. "Welcome home!" She happily exclaimed before dancing with Santana into the kitchen. "Dinner is almost ready and I have a cold one on the table waiting for you." Rachel sat Santana at the table then went back to finishing the food.

Seeing Rachel so happy makes Santana smiles. She takes a sip from her beer and arching her eyebrow, "As much as I'd love to come home to this every day, something must've got you this happy." She leans on the table and watch Rachel moving in the kitchen, "Care to share?"

"I'm on Broadway again!" Rachel turned then jumped in excitement. "I got the offer to be a lead in the Sound of Music."

"Really?!" Santana gets up from her seat and runs to Rachel; she wraps her hands around her body and hugs her tightly, lifting her in the air. "That's so freaking fantastic! I'm so happy for you!" Santana pecks Rachel's lips over and over and smiles, "I have so many questions, but I'm just too happy." She chuckles.

Rachel wrapped her arms around Santana's neck; her smile grew bigger the second Santana held her. "I don't plan going back on my tour schedule, I will just be doing one date depending on how the reviews go." She explained as one hand grazed Santana's shoulder.

"Wow, that's great." Santana puts Rachel down, but stays close, "How did it happen? How are you going to juggle with that and the studio and most importantly, are how excited are you?" Santana forgets to breath; Rachel is a brilliant actress, in Santana's eyes, and she hoped the woman will come back to it, so now she's maybe even happier than Rachel.

"I am really excited, like infinitely excited." Rachel adjusted her glasses a bit "Also, I will be able to juggle home, studio, and the play; I just need to space out the dates if I end up doing multiple shows. But home is gonna be my first priority, I have a kid now and that's more important than a role." She happily explained.

Santana cups Rachel's face and stare into her eyes, "There aren't enough words for me to tell you how proud I am of you." Her hands go back to Rachel's back, "And I want you to do it more than anything, I'm here and we'll make it work."

For a moment there, Rachel was lost in Santana's eyes, her body heated up from the Latina's actions, and she didn't want this to stop at all. "Th-Thank you.." She says as she moves as close as she can to Santana. "You really are the best, you know that right?"

"No, babe, you are the best." Santana brushes their noses together, "I can't wait to see you on stage again and for Dani to see her mom" Santana says and starts giggling, "Oh, and Elliot is going to freak." She rests her forehead on Rachel's, "You're going to amaze them, there's no way that the reviews won't be great," She says with confidence.

Rachel bit her lower lip "Speaking of Elliot, we're going to his RENT audition on Monday, I promised him we'd be there." She gave Santana some puppy dog eyes in hopes that she wouldn't be upset.

"He mostly wants you and D there, but I'll try, I'm can't promise anything." Santana kisses Rachel's cheek and goes back to her seat, drinking her beer.

"He actually specifically requested you, due to the song he's gonna perform." Rachel turned off the stove, then walked to the dishwasher, pulling out a few bowls. "I thought it was weird myself, but hey, whatever helps, right?"

"Ok.. Remind me the night before and I'll make it work." Santana takes her phone out and sends some texts, "You need any help?" She glances at the woman.

"Nah, I got it." she moved the bowls over by the stove, and then Rachel walked to Santana, giving her a soft kiss on the side of her lips. "Thanks anyway." Rachel smiled, then went to portion out the food.

Santana stands up; holding her coat in one hand and the beer in the other, "I'm going to put this in my room." She pointing at the coat, "Want me to call D after?"

"Sure." Rachel says while she finishes portioning the food, afterwards she places the 3 bowls on the table, then places the silverware beside each bowl.

Santana walks to her room and throws the coat on the bed and leaves her phone there as well. She's, then, stepping towards Dani's room while finishing her beer. She opens the half closed door and enter while knocking, "Hey D, what's-" She stops when she sees the Dani isn't alone; now she gets how her mother felt every time she entered her room while Brittany was over. "Marley, hey." She looks between the two flustered young girls and raise her eyebrow.

"Mama, you're home.." Dani sits up, blushing; they were only cuddling, but Santana looks at them like she caught them doing something else. "How was work?" She asks with a smile.

"It was fine.." Santana answers, not sure how she's feeling right now, "Marley, how are your mother and Elliot?"

"Th-They are good Miss Lopez, my mom just got a promotion to head manager at the restaurant she and Elliot works at, and Elliot landed a big audition in a couple days." Marley sat up, pushing her index fingers together nervously. "As for me, I think I partially hate myself because I'm terrified that I did something wrong in your home." she gulped.

"Did you?" Yes, she feels just like her mother with the voice and the stiff look.

"No!" Dani says almost too fast, "We were just talking and the door was open.." Dani starts to feel really nervous.

"Good." Santana looks at Marley, "It's Santana, honey. Now go wash up, dinner is ready." She practically runs out of the room and back to the kitchen. She stands behind Rachel with her hands folded against her chest and a weird look on her face.

"If god is real.. Then he is in the form of Santana.." Marley shivered a bit. "I've never been that scared before." she gets up from the bed and looks at Dani with scared eyes.

Rachel looked over at Santana. "You okay, hon?" She leaned against the counter with a smile on her face. "You look like you saw an obese zombie or something."

"You didn't tell me Marley is here.. They were lying in bed." Santana frowns. She likes Marley very much, but Dani is her kid and Marley is the girl who'll, eventually.. Santana shakes her head, she can't think about it.

Back in the room, Dani takes a deep breath and walks to her girlfriend, "Yeah, it was scary.. I think that what she was trying to do, but she loves you, Marls." She hugs Marley at looks up at her, "And mom going to be there too, she'd calm her down, we'll be ok."

"Sorry, I really didn't expect her to show up to be honest, but she's Dani's girlfriend and I wanted to avoid seeing her attempt to use her begging combo again." Rachel shook her head. "It's hard enough to say no to her when she doesn't use that look." She sits at one end of the table. "But I kept tabs on those two just to be safe, they weren't.." Rachel looked towards the room, then back at Santana with serious eyes "My baby is still innocent right?"

Marley jumped a bit when she overheard Rachel say that. "Dani.. They think we either were having sex or did have sex." She whispered to her girlfriend, and if the young brunette wasn't that scared before, she's even more scared now. "I think maybe I should go home, something tells me I'd rather live in a spider nest than feel the wrath of your moms."

Dani pulls Marley back to her room, her heart's racing, "No, you can't go and leave me alone with them." She gulps, "We didn't do anything, so we need to act normal and have them talk about anything else but us." Dani glance at the door and back to Marley, giving the girl her best puppy dog eyes she can. "You love me, you have to stay." She adds, just to be sure.

In the kitchen the talk keeps going, "For their sake, I hope so. No child of mine will have sex at 14." Santana almost laugh at herself; she can't really make sure they won't do anything.. It doesn't mean she won't scare them enough to not dare to even try. "I feel like my mother and it's weird.. I never thought I'd be like that, I thought it'd be more open about it.." She sighs and takes a few steps to Rachel, "I think she and Marley are perfect together, but they're young, you know."

Marley lets out a sigh, then nods "Fine, I will stay." She smiled a bit at Dani a slight amount.

"Speaking of those two, what's taking them?" Rachel asked as she looked back towards the direction of the room. "Girls! The food will be cold by the time you get here."

Dani takes Marley's hand and they walk together to the kitchen. "Sorry, I had to use the bathroom and asked Marley to wait for me." The last thing Dani wants is them knowing she and Marley heard them and to keep talking about it, "So.. What's for dinner?" She asks, watching her moms' sits down.

"I made you all some beef stew, mixed it up with some rice, real potatoes, and I added some actual vegetables to the mix." Rachel took a sip of her water. "The middle of the table I have an assortment of crackers for you to mix with your stew if you wanna."

"Maybe you should get a part on Broadway every day.." Santana chuckles and takes a bite, "God, it's so good!" She says, with her mouth full of food.

"Thanks, mom." Dani smiles at Rachel, then looks at Santana, "When does Leo gets here?" She asks and starts eating.

"Tonight, at some ungodly hour.." Santana rolls her eyes, "But tomorrow we're going to go visit the pool in his hotel and maybe say hey to him while we're there." She laughs and keeps eating. "Wait, Rach, you can still come, right?" Santana frowns, thinking of spending tomorrow without the woman.

"Yeah, I should be able to hang out, again I do have pre-Christmas classes this week, but yeah I should be able." Rachel took another sip of her water before her eyes met Marley's. "So Marley, do you have any info on what role Elliot is going for?" She asked as she set her cup down.

Marley set the spoon back in the bowl, then shook her head, "He refused to tell me or Dani, so I am going into this audition completely clueless." She explained as she pushed some hair behind her head, Marley then bit her lower lip nervously._'I get a weird feeling they are pissed at me, or I am really over-thinking this.'_ She thinks to herself.

"Oh, and Marley.." Rachel was fighting off every urge to tell the younger brunette to ease up on Dani, but she didn't want to live with the idea of Dani hating her and further pushing the pink haired girl towards having sex with Marley. "Uh.. Are you enjoying the ear buds Dani and I bought for your birthday?"

"Y-Yeah.. I was actually surprised you were able to get that model, they aren't even out yet." Marley grew a shy smile on her face.

Santana sits in quiet, eating her food and watching Rachel and Marley talk. She knows Dani cares a lot about Marley and it's clear they're good for each other. With all that in mind, Santana is going to keep an eye on them to make sure they keep their hands to themselves.

The pink haired girl catches how her mama looks at Marley and takes a big sip of her soda. She needs to make Santana busy or her girlfriend would faint. "Mama, are you going to work from work, now that I'm on break?" Dani asks casually.

The Latina clears her voice and looks at Dani, "You mom and I need to talk about it, but I'll be here when she can't." Her tone and expression soften looking at how adorable Dani is, "We'll plan fun days, for all of us," She glance at Marley and Rachel, "Don't worry, you won't be bored."

Rachel felt a tad guilty for conversing too much outside of the family; she turned her attention towards her girls, rested her head on her palm and smiled slightly. "So, Santana since this will be Dani's first Christmas with us, am I safe to assume we're going to have to get a tree?"

Santana looks at how Dani's face lit up and her smile grew. She turns her head to Rachel and lean back on her chair, "Yeah, I guess we're doing everything. We need to start some family traditions." She reaches for Dani's face and caresses it.

The young girl blushes some, but gets very excited to finally have a real Christmas. "Can we decorate it together?" Dani asks and looks at Rachel with eyes full of hope. She takes Marley's under the table to help her feel strong, so she won't cry from how happy she is.

"Of course we can, anything you want Dani." Rachel gave a nod towards the young girl's way. "Just uh.. Please don't get me anything for Christmas though, all three of you." She looks between the women at the table.

"Miss Berry, how come you don't want anything?" Marley asked before taking another bite of food.

Santana raises her eyebrow, "Rach?" She's not sure what's going on and it makes her nervous.

Dani has the same expression on her face, without even looking at Santana. Her stomach starts to hurt a bit, thinking something is wrong with her mom.

Rachel pulled out her star necklace "Star of David." She said and made sure that everyone sees it. "I know there are Jewish people who celebrate Christmas despite what they are, but I have been keeping up with my religion since 2013, so.. Yeah." She let her necklace go. "Also Marley, you can call me Rachel, I'm not your teacher or someone above the age of 35."

"Miss... R-Rachel, I get not eating pork because of your faith, and I understand never eating meat because of your beliefs." Marley pushed her index fingers together. "But.. You have Dani now, and according to my mom.. The most important thing about motherhood is compromise." She bit her lower lip, looking down at the floor. "Sorry for my outburst."

"I think this is a conversation Rachel and I need to have in private," Santana starts, "But, first, Marley, as long as you're polite with how you say things, you can always speak up and express how you feel. I'm not saying we're going to agree, but I want you to feel comfortable talking." She smiles at the young girl, then looks at the woman she cares so much about, "I respect your faith and wishes, but you're Dani's mom and we need to find the middle on this.. There are Jewish holidays as well, so we have to discuss this later."

Dani sat in silence, listening to everyone talk. She wanted a normal Christmas for a long time, but more than that, Dani wanted a family and now she got one. She was raised as a Christian, but she's not big on religion; for her it's more about the traditions. Maybe learning about Rachel's will bring them closer and be interesting. "Mom, we can't celebrate separately; I want you with us and I don't want you alone on your holidays.." Dani finally says.

Both Dani and Marley's words cut through Rachel as swift as a thin blade, she really felt bad that she did not celebrate Christmas. Every year Kurt would leave a gift for Rachel under their tree and she would intentionally ignore the gift because of her strong belief. "I uh.. I need to make some calls so.. Be back." She nodded once then got up to leave the room.

Now Marley's selective anxiety was triggered "I screwed up, big time.." She said as she frowned. "I'm really sorry for speaking out; it was not my place to do so."

"It's fine, honey, Rachel's just very close to her religion." Santana gets up and looks to where Rachel went, "Dani, can you, please, clear the table? I'll go talk to your mom for a second and then take Marley home." She tells the girls and goes after Rachel.

Dani nods, but doesn't get up yet. "Marls, don't get upset." She hugs her girlfriend, "Santana's going to make it all good again." Dani hopes so.

Santana enters her room and steps fast towards Rachel; she hugs her from behind and rests her head on her shoulder. "Are you ok?"

"How is it that two young teens are smarter than me?" Rachel asks as she caresses Santana's arms gently. Somehow the embrace of Santana always calmed Rachel down, she wasn't completely sure as to what made her so relaxed, but she sure as hell didn't mind. "They're right.."

"That's the thing with kids; they get you right in the guts." Santana tightens her hold and brushes her cheek on Rachel's, "I believe what you've experienced just now was a normal, functioning family, babe." Santana speaks softly, "We never talked about it before and they caught us off guards. I don't want you to do things against your religion, but like I said, we can find the middle. You came to Thanksgiving dinner and you're ok with brining a tree home, we can do the same for you." Her thumbs grazing Rachel's hands, while trying to get her to calm down.

Rachel calmly blushes then nods. "You know.. I think the perfect middle is that I love Dani, and I want her happy." She turns around to face Santana. "I care a lot about you, and I want you happy as well." She brushes her nose against Santana's. "You both make me happy, and you both care a lot about me, that's the perfect middle ground.. Let's celebrate Christmas, make it a new tradition."

"Whatever you want, Rach. You know that I want both of you happy." Santana giggles, "We're too cheesy, you know that, right?" She pecks Rachel's lips and presses their body closer.

"You know, I was thinking the same thing." Rachel smiled a bit more then shrugged lightly. "I like cheesy though, it's one of the many things I am great at." She lightly shook her hips and gave Santana a lip bitten smirk. "You realize how hard it is to not take you right now?"

"So humble.." Santana chuckles then mirrored the smirk Rachel's giving her, "Don't start with me, Berry. If you'd keep teasing me, I'll eventually break down and you won't be able to move for another week." Santana gives Rachel's ass a little squeeze, "Now that I'm thinking about it, maybe you shouldn't come tomorrow.. You won't be able to stop drooling.." She says with a playful tone.

"Are you sure you're not talking about yourself?" Rachel responded in the same playful tone. "I have a good feeling you will love tomorrow, a lot more than you think you would."

"We'll see." Santana gives Rachel one last peck and untangle her hands, "Come on, I have to take one young girl home and you need to go give the other some love." She takes Rachel hand and goes back to the kitchen.

* * *

The next morning the girls wake up early and have breakfast together. While Rachel is energetic, Dani and Santana just stare into space until their bodies are fully awake. At some point, Santana talks to her brother; he tells her he got to the hotel and everything is alright and they agree to meet. It takes the girls about an hour and a half to get ready and another half an hour to get there. Once Santana parks the car, they grab their bags and walk in and see that Leo is already waiting for them in the lobby.

"Don't pretend to be texting, it's kinda pathetic.." Santana says with a wicked smile on her face.

Leo shakes his head and shoves his phone in his pocket, then gives his sister a tight hug. "Hello Rachel, Dani, nice seeing you again." He waves, not sure if hugs would be ok with them.

"Leo." Rachel lightly bows, and then places a hand on Dani's shoulder. "Dani has been dying to see her uncle Leo again."

Dani gave a nod and smiled some more. "I, uh.. I brought you a gift. I made it in my spare time." She pulled out a wrapped object.

"For me?" He places one hand on his chest and takes a few steps towards Dani, "You're too sweet." He takes the present and opens the wrapper and looks at a drawing of him in uniform, "Wow, Dani, you really have talent." He gives her a hug, "It's beautiful, I love it. Thank you."

Santana wanted to say a mean comment about her brother, but it was Dani's art and that means more to her than anything. "You're something special, D." She smiles at the girl.

_'Just wait 'til Christmas Mama..'_ Dani thought to herself with a lip bitten smile. "I'm glad you love it Uncle Leo." She said before walking to Santana and holding onto her.

Rachel walked over to Leo, stood up a bit more, "Remember the plan?" She whispers towards the male Lopez.

"Of course, I'm on it." He answers in a low tone, "You're perfect for her." Leo tells Rachel with a smile, "Now, let's go before she kicks my ass back to Lima." He chuckles and walks next to his sister and niece.

The group enters the heated pool area and glad to see it isn't packed with people. They find themselves a spot and place their stuff on the ground. Leo takes his shirt off, then call to Dani, "Are you coming?" He pulls his pants and make sure his cell is safe in them.

Both Dani and Rachel stopped in their tracks; Rachel had forgotten to pack a bathing suit for her and Dani. "Uh.. Guys, I didn't pack a bathing suit.." Rachel confessed._'At least not one that I want to wear around Dani and Leo..'_ She thought feeling ashamed of herself. "I do have shorts I could wear, would that be cool?"

Dani walked to one of the chairs, sat down and leaned back. "I actually wanna draw instead; you guys should have your fun." She scratched her arm lightly.

Santana watch her brother shrugs and gets in the water. She turns to Dani with one hand on her hip, "At least I'll have someone to tan with at summer." She smiles at her and walks to Rachel, "Guess you'll be doing all the drooling." She husks close to her ear, "Though it's really a waste.." Her eyes run up and down the woman's body. Santana doesn't give time for Rachel to react and steps to her chair, slowly taking her clothes off. Maybe a little too slow. She hears Leo calling for her and signal him to wait. Santana walks to Rachel and hand her phone, "Can you please keep an eye on it? I'm expecting an important call from work.." She asks in a sweet tone.

"B-But I was.. Okay." Rachel said as she sat in the seat next to Dani, looking over at Santana's phone. "I actually wanted to swim too.." She slightly pouted.

"What's stopping you?" Dani asks before peeking over at Rachel. "I can watch over Mama's phone for you." She suggested.

Santana steps into the pool and swim to her brother with some disappointment in her eyes.

"What's wrong? Don't want to spend some time with your brother?"

"Sure I do, it's just that-"

"You want to spend time with them." Leo finishes the sentence for her, "Dani is doing her thing, and think about it, since when teenagers want to hang out with their parents?" He tilts to the side.

"She's not like other kids... And I'm a cool mom." She splash water on him.

Rachel quickly nodded "I'll be 5 minutes." She said as she set the phone on Dani's lap, and then started to run to her bag, pulling out a pair of shorts, and then she ran over to a changing room, quickly tossing her pants over the door, and pulling her shorts on. But right as she was about to pull her shirt off she noticed her reflection and instantly backed against the wall. _'Oh no.. No, no, no..'_ She gulped trying to get away from the mirror.

Dani looked over to the door of the changing room, seeing Rachel's feet trying to move back. "Mom! Before I turn 20!" She bellowed out in a playful tone. _'Seriously, you're beautiful.'_

The second Rachel heard that, she built up the courage to take the shirt off, but she kept her upper body covered by the t-shirt as she walks out of the changing room, she then picked up the pants that she tossed and walked over to where the group left their stuff. "Okay.. Uh, Dani.."

"Mom, with all due respect, get your butt in that pool." Dani smiled up at Rachel then stuck her tongue out.

Rachel rolled her eyes, setting down her shirt, and then she carefully stepped into the pool. "Oh my god so warm!" She got to the middle and saw Santana. "So.. What's up?"

Despite having a splashing fight, Santana and Leo had a real and deep talk. They talked a little about Dani, but then Leo asked how things with Rachel are. Santana tried to evade the question, but Leo insisted. Santana told him that they're really giving it a chance and how, slowly, they're making progress. She was about to say something personal about her feelings, when Leo saw Rachel getting closer to them.  
Leo pushes Santana into the water and let her go just when Rachel gets there.  
"What the-"

"Rachel! You got in anyway, good!" He smiles at Rachel and gives a look to his sister.

Santana turns around, her face burning with embarrassment, "Rach, you're here!"

Rachel leaned towards one end of the pool, feeling slightly embarrassed, but mainly happy. "Yeah, I had a pair of short shorts that I could wear, so I figured why not?" She shrugged.

"I'm glad you did.." Santana says and swim a little closer to her.

"Well, I'll leave you." Leo starts, "There is a girl over there that can make my lonely nights here.. Less lonely." He smirks.

Santana glance to see who her brother is talking about and chuckles, "Yeah, she's gay." She simply states.

"No, she's not." He frowns at his sister.

"She is, but if you want to go there and make fun of yourself, then don't listen to your sister who has a great Gaydar." She rolls her eyes at him.

Leo looks a little to his left, "Rachel?" He asks, hoping to get a different answer.

"I'm with Santana on this one, plus she kinda seems like a closeted freak.. And not the good freak." Rachel gave a pursed smile. "Sorry, but uh that lobby girl, she's straight as an arrow." She points out.

"Can you not talk about girls with her? Thank you." She splashes at her brother and gets closer to Rachel, "And you suppose to spend time with us, don't be a jerk."

"You're right, you're right, sorry." He moves a hand over his beard, "Rachel, how is everything? I've heard you're doing great."

"Well, things have been going okay. I had a bad sprain in my ankle, but I have recovered pretty well." Rachel wrapped one arm around Santana's waist, giving a bright smile. "Your sister helped a lot; I dunno what I'd do without her." She shyly admits.

Santana pulls Rachel closer to her body and rest her hand on the woman's waist. "She's exaggerating." She brushes her cheek with Rachel's, being like this in public is new to her and she needs to get used to it, "But, yeah, we're doing really good lately."

Leo watches the two with a smile, glad that they found the way back to each other. "And Dani looks great. Is she doing well?"

"Yeah, she is." Rachel looks over to Dani and waves at her. "Although I do wish she'd join us, this pool is amazing."

Dani was in the middle of doing some sketches when Santana's phone started to ring, it startled her for a second, she answered the phone "Santana Lopez's phone, how may I help you?.. I'm her daughter.. Yeah hold on, please." She set the phone on the table. "Mama! Someone wants to talk to you!"

"M-Mama?" Leo looks at his sister with widened eyes, "I think it's the first time I've heard her call you that.

"Yeah, amazing." She turns to look at Rachel, "I'm sorry, I have to answer it and it can take a while." She kisses her cheek, "I'll try sending D over here." She pouts, not wanting to leave Rachel and before they had any fun. But Santana has no choice; she swims fast, and then runs towards Dani. She thanks the girl and answers the call.  
"Hello, it's me, but you'll have to excuse me for a second." Santana says and looks at Dani, "Maybe get in, just for a little while? The water is great and you mom and uncle would be happy to spend some time with you." She smiles at Dani and takes walks away to talk. It's the same women she's talking to since yesterday; she can't be rude, but it's making her angry to the point of almost losing her temper.

Dani looked over at Santana with worried eyes; she was extremely worried for her Mama. _'Who is hurting her..'_ She thought to herself as her sketching turned to writing what she was seeing.

Santana pace back and forward, brushing her hand through her hair every so often. She tries to explain to the woman, again, that she's no longer doing sessions. "I promise you Mrs. Marting, I'll assign you my best girl, you have nothing to worry about. I'll make sure to brief her and make sure you get what you need." She tells the woman, but she's starting to lose hope it'll convince her. This woman is one of their biggest clients and one of Santana's firsts; Santana can't lose her. But she can't do sessions either.

"M-Mama?" Dani worryingly called out as she gently tapped Santana on the arm. "Are you okay?"

"Just a moment." Santana covers the speaker of the phone and turns to Dani, "Hey, baby. I just have something I need to take care off." She caresses Dani's face, "Is everything alright?"

"Not.. Everything..." Dani said as she went back to drawing.

Santana sighs and goes back to her conversation. She walks to where stuff lays and put on a sarong she brought and walks out to get a drink from the bar. She needs to find a solution and soon, because this is too much and she's wasting their fun day she waited for.

"Hm, maybe you should go to one of them? I can go to the other." Leo says as he watches his sister leave and he can tell when the woman is mad.

"Yeah.. Keep an eye on Dani." Rachel said as she got out of the pool, walking past Dani. "Uncle Leo is going to hang with you for a few minutes okay?"

"Kay." was Dani's response as she continues her drawing, and what she was drawing had a lot of emotional depth to it.

Rachel sighed then pulled on a button up shirt, she had it buttoned past her chest as she walked out of the pool area, and into the bar, she sees Santana feeling upset.

"Belle, I know it's tons of pressure, but you're my number one and I trust you to make it work." Santana says and drinks her shot; this was draining her from all her energy, "You pull this off and I give you whatever you want!" It's not like one of her girls would say no, but Belle was worried she won't succeed. Santana has no doubt she'll and she really wants to go back to her family, "Yes! Thank you, you're the best!" She drinks another shot, "I'll email you the details and brief you later. Thank you, again, goodbye." Santana hangs up and sighs, holding her head between her hands.

"Getting shots already?" Rachel asked as she sat in the stool next to Santana. "What's wrong?" she further asks while signaling a bartender. "Root Beer on the rocks!" she called out.

"I just had to deal with something at work.." Santana looks at Rachel, already feeling a little better, "And I took only two, I don't want to get drunk with Dani here.." Looking in Rachel's eyes, Santana knows all the stressing calls were worth it and she made the right decision.

"Babe, you kinda defeat the purpose of tonight if you start too early." Rachel bit her lower lip and smiled over at Santana, reaching over towards her hand.

"Oh, I didn't know you were planning to get drunk, with our girl in the next room, later." She rolls her eyes, and immediately regrets it, "I'm sorry, don't mind me, it'll go away soon.."

"Actually, there's only one room, and it's under my name, but on Leo's dime." Rachel confessed. "This was going to be our second date."

"Are you serious?" That information gets Santana's to beat faster, "Our second date? And you got us a room? Ugh, I want to kiss you so badly right now."

"I'm 100% serious." Rachel smiled quite a bit before taking a sip of her root beer. "Leo called my number from your mom's house phone by accident, and I was browsing through some good hotels for an even better price." She starts to explain. "He suggested this place, and I told him the price, then he told me Merry Christmas, and that this was his gift to me, a second date with you." She smiled some more. "So Leo is going to take Dani home, and he's going to house sit for us while we stay here 'til Monday morning."

"I'm lost for words. It's perfect, Rach." Santana kisses Rachel's cheek, "My brother must like you quite a lot if he's doing this.. Maybe he's trying to make you like him." Santana laughs, I just hope Dani will be ok with that; she likes him, but being only with him.." She bites her lip; she can't wait to have another date with Rachel, but she's not completely at ease with leaving Dani, even if it's her own brother.

"Yeah, he may end up with an empty wallet from how much he'll spoil her." Rachel joked then held Santana's hand. "We have tonight, all of tomorrow and a little bit of Monday to ourselves.. Just think of what we can do in that amount of time."

"Yeah, we can watch lots of movies and sleep.." Santana smiles, "Exactly what I need."

"And maybe strut about our room in nothing but our panties." Rachel slightly pressed her upper body against Santana's, gently nibbling the Latina's ear. "Possibly more than just strutting.."

"Hm it should be a rule that you can't wear anything more than a pair of panties." Santana places her finger in the cleavage of Rachel's shirt, tugging it down some.

"Well.. We got the family part of our day done, let's get started on that date.. By now Leo should have dropped the bags along with the spare key off in our rooms.." Rachel suggested before playfully licking her lips, she then got off the stool and started walking out of the bar, swaying her hips in the process.

* * *

Santana walks fast to catch up to Rachel; she had to because she sat on her stool a long moment, staring at the girl's body. 'Why would we even need a key? I don't plan on either of us leaving..' Santana thinks. The elevator ride is hell; all Santana can think about is Rachel's body and there are people around them. The girls, finally, get to their room and Rachel opens the door and they enter and look around.

"Wow, this room is huge, it looks like it was taken from a romantic movie." Santana looks around at all the candles and take in the sweet smell. "Thank you, Rach." She pecks the woman's lips and keeps looking around.

"You should check the first room in the hallway to your right, I think you will personally love it." Rachel smirked as she undid her buttons, then walked into the kitchen, pulling out a bottle of wine, then grabbed a big bowl, then put a bunch of ice in it._'Cliché as hell, but I go with what I know will work.'_ she thinks as she placed the wine in the bowl of ice, then grabs a couple glasses and waits on Santana to enter that room.

Santana nodded, then made her way to where Rachel told her. She opens the door and her jaw drops, "Holy shit, Rach." She looks at the stunning bathroom with a hot tub already running, "I don't know about you, but I'm gonna spend our weekend in here." She says loud enough for her to hear and steps forward to check the water.

Rachel followed closely and smiled at how Santana reacted to the room, it felt nice that she helped with making Santana's night the best night she's had. "I got the bubbly." she said as she placed the ice bowl with the wine bottle in it on the counter. "I will be right back Santana, I gotta do a quick change." She said as she quickly left the room to go to the bedroom, she took off every piece of clothing from her body, then she pulled out a pair of lacy waterproof black lingerie, she put the set on then walked out of the bedroom. She quickly walked to the hot tub room door and leaned against the frame. "Hey sexy."

While Rachel was gone, Santana quickly sent the mail she had to and placed her phone on the counter. She hears Rachel voice and turns around, her eyes almost falling from the holes. "Dios mio, Rachel! Warn a woman before giving her a heart attack." Santana licks her lips, "You are fucking gorgeous." Her eyes only glance up, and as time passes, Santana's legs feel weaker.

Rachel slowly approached Santana, pressing her body against the Latina's and smirked some. "Do you like my apparel?" She asks quietly as one hand runs down Santana's side.

"You look absolutely beautiful." Santana wraps her arms around Rachel's waist, but then one hand goes to the straps of her bra and slightly pulls it, "What about our rule?" The Latina bites her lip and her eyes full of lust.

"Well.. That starts after our date, that I am taking you on.. So right now, my rules." Rachel returned the look of lust as she gripped Santana's ass as tightly as she could. "I am treating you, every step of the way." She said as she loosens her grip and walks to the tub.

_'There is no way I'm surviving this..'_ Santana thinks as her eyes follow Rachel's body move. "So your date is, basically, teasing me to death." Santana chuckles. When Rachel is seated, Santana takes off her sarong in slow motion. She throws the item aside and stretch her body with her eyebrow arched and a small smirk on her face. _'Two can play this game, babe.'_ She walks to the tub like it's a runway. She leans forward to get in, but stops and looks at Rachel, "Should I pour us some wine?" Her voice is innocent, but she makes sure Rachel gets a nice view.

"Well, no, my date with you is me making sure that you are completely satisfied." Rachel lightly bit her index finger. "Am I not doing a good job already?" She furrowed her eyebrows, now feeling that she's failing at being the person who set up the date. "I'm really not good at this.." Rachel lowered herself down to her neck.

"No, none of that." Santana hurry to get in. She parts Rachel's knees and get closer, "It's perfect and you're great, Rach." She cups her face, "I'm so used to being to one in charge, that it's hard to let go." Santana explains, "I don't want you to ever feel like that. Everything you do for me amaze me and I'm thankful for having you."

"A-Are you sure?" Rachel kept her eyebrows furrowed. "I really do want to make you happy." She gulped nervously as her arms wrapped around Santana's waist.

"Being with you makes me happy." She brushes their noses together, "Come on, babe, you're a strong woman, let it out." She places her hands on Rachel's knees, "I'm all yours, ok? I waited for this date so much, and I'm going to behave from now on." Santana tells Rachel calmly.

The diva gulped once more, then started to kiss at Santana's neck. "Right now sweetie, I want you to relax and let me prep you for the bed.. Okay?" She asked as her upper body presses against Santana's.

Santana nods; Rachel kissing her together with being in the hot tub causes new sensations in her body and it's not so easy so verbally response.

Rachel remembered the massage she gave Santana a while back, even better she remembered the spot on the Latina's back that she loved being touched at. So Rachel pressed one hand on the spine of Santana, pressing slightly with each stroke that she does, then she moves that hand off to the side and presses her fingers into Santana's back, pushing the tips of her fingers in at different times.

Santana's eyes closed and her body is thrown forward uncontrollably and press on Rachel's front. Not only Rachel's taking away the stress, but also, her hands giving her a great pleasure. She softly moans Rachel's name in the woman's ear and nibble her lobe as her hands wrap around her neck and her nails scratching gently.

Rachel continued with what she was doing but, switched it up a bit. Now she started to suck on Santana's neck, specifically the crook of the neck.

Santana moves her hands and cups Rachel's face; the way Rachel looks at her makes her shiver. She bites Rachel's bottom lips, then stops and smiles, "M-Maybe we should slow down a little; our date only started, we haven't opened the wine yet." She pant.

Rachel's face lit up a lot "O..Okay." She bit her lower lip. "What would you like us to do right now?" Rachel asked while running her hand against her date's back.

"What I like us to do and what I think we should do are totally different." Santana giggles, "I don't know, tell me something." She moves to sit next to Rachel and lean back.

"Well, we could talk about us." Rachel suggested as she leaned against Santana. "Like.. Our future, with Dani and all.."

"Rach, that little crisis at work.. It was because one of our biggest clients didn't agree to a session with anyone but me." Santana is very nervous about telling this to Rachel, "And I couldn't do it.. I love my job, but I couldn't think of doing things like that with someone who isn't you." Her eyes keep moving from Rachel's eyes to other places around her, "There are things I want in the future, but it's scary to talk about them.. Even if it'd be with you and Dani." Santana knows she's not a child anymore and discussing family and future plans is very normal at her age. Yet, it's not that simple for her to let herself fantasize about this bright, happy future where she has a family and successful career.

"Because you're better than the club." Rachel simply points out. "You are talented as fuck, and you have the looks of a goddess. I could see you on the big screen as the next big actress, or number one on the most downloaded artist iTunes."

"Rach, you're meant for the stage. I love what I do; I earn good money, I can work from home if any of you need me and I run a place.." Santana starts moving nervously, "Maybe two, soon.." She shyly looks at Rachel, "What you're talking about requires a lot from me and I prefer to invest my energy at home.." Santana wants to say more, tell Rachel what she hopes will happen with them, but it's too soon and she doesn't want this perfect time to be ruined.

Rachel shrugged, then intertwined her fingers with Santana's, "Well, you being happy is what's important to me. If you feel comfortable with working there, that's good.. I may feel weirded out by the idea of women harassing you, but you have me, and I have you, that's all that is needed.. Right?"

"Yes." Santana scoots closer to Rachel and hold her. Whatever happens, they have each other and after what they've been through to find that, nothing can break it. Santana surely hopes so.

"Is it strange that we haven't touched the wine, even though I brought it in?" Rachel asked as she nuzzled into Santana. "God you are comfortable, I could be like this with you all day."

"Nothing is stopping you." Santana kiss Rachel's head and rest her head backward, "We can drink it now or later, I don't mind. But we can't be in here for too long, our skin will get weird." She chuckles, "Do you have something plan or having mind blowing sex all weekend is the main activity?" Santana chuckles again and moves her left hand up and down Rachel's side.

"Well, my plan is to make you happy, and make it completely about you." Rachel said as one of her hands trace against the Latina's chest, her finger going along the hem of Santana's bra. "Mind blowing sex is another thing I wanted at some point, or maybe better than mind blowing." She whispered into Santana's ear, then bit her lip.

"Completely about me? It's kind of sad you won't be touched.." Santana smirks and stands up, "Come on, princess, let dry ourselves. " She reaches her hand out, "Then we'll see about that 'better than mind blowing.'"

Rachel rolled her eyes as she got out of the tub, "You and I both know I will be touched, especially with the better than mind blowing sex." She points out as she reaches the cupboards for a couple of towels. "Oh yeah, towels and the mini hair products are complementary."

Santana hugs Rachel from behind and leaves no distance between their bodies. One hand goes to the woman's chest and with the index finger of the other, Santana moves along the lines of the bottom of Rachel's bikini. "Yeah, you're right," Her mouth against Rachel's ear, "But I can still tease you for hours." Santana husks with a smirk on her lips.

"Aww.. Don't be mean, San." She turns around giving Santana a slight pout as she crosses her arms. "It was difficult to get everything set up." Rachel looked to the floor. "And you teasing me, that isn't fair at all." she looks back at Santana with sad eyes. "Especially when our date is nowhere near close to being done.." She leaned in a bit to softly kiss Santana's lips.

Santana cup Rachel's face with a serious expression, "I'm sorry, hon." She pecks her lips, "I appreciate everything you did for me, this date is perfect." She untangle Rachel's arms and puts them on her shoulder, "No more sad eyes, you're breaking my heart."

Rachel gave a slight nod. "Okay, I will stop with the sad eyes." She said before turning to walk to the shower, she unhooked her bra then placed it over the shower rack, then she pushed the panties down and placed them by her bra. "I will abide by the rule of no bras, but I am tossing the no panties rule as well." She smiled a bit as she wrapped her towel around her chest.

"I'm starting to think your master plan is to give me a heart attack." Santana states. "We should take a quick shower after being in the pool. You go first, I'll take the wine to the kitchen, ok?" She walks to grab the bottle and the bowel.

"Alright." Rachel nods, then takes her glasses off, she feels around for the shower door, then steps in the shower. _'Damn.. This will take awhile..'_ She thinks to herself.

* * *

Under the hot stream, Santana has some time to think about recent events and how genuinely happy she is. She wanted a family of her own and in a strange way it happened. And now, after many years, Santana gets excited when she thinks about what the future holds for them. She hurries to finish her shower, then puts on an oversized t shirt and goes to the bed area.

"Can we move here?" She plops next to Rachel and dry her hair with a towel.

"We'd have to have Donald Trump money to afford living one month here." Rachel says as she turns a page in her book. "Maybe when we look for our own place, we can make our room look like this room, and have a hot tub in a covered area of our yard." She says before looking over at Santana. "God you look beautiful, even in that big ass shirt."

"Thank you.." Santana lets the towel rest on her legs and she's tucking some hair behind her ears, "And I'm a lucky woman to have such a gorgeous woman here, with me." She says with a bright smile. "Hm, did you talk to Dani or Leo, by any chance? I just want to know that everything is fine there."

"According to Dani, she and Leo went to some art museum. Leo got shot down by the tour guide, then they went to the Hard Rock Cafe." Rachel smiled over at Santana. "Do you want me to call and check in again?" She placed an index card in the book then closed it.

"Great, he's hitting on girls with my kid around.. Idiot." Santana rolls her eyes and gets up to put the towel on the chair not far from the bed. "We'll call them later, let Dani do her magic with him." She laughs and gets in bed again.

Rachel placed her book on the floor beside her then she turned her body towards Santana, keeping a close eye on the woman before her. _'Such perfection..' _She blushed and gulped. "S-So.. You enjoying our date? Even if not much happened?"

"I'm with you, of course I enjoy it." Santana simple says and looks up at Rachel, "Are you?"

"Yeah." Rachel nods and smiles some more. "I am more than enjoying it, I wish we could do stuff like this more often." She confesses. Deep down Rachel could not picture a better way to spend this night, well, except for having Dani hanging out with them, but in a date aspect she couldn't think of anything better to do than look at Santana and be amazed.

"If I'll take over the second club and with how good things are going with the studio and hopefully your new show," Santana says, "We can find a nice hotel, that doesn't cost as much, once a year or so.." She smiles.

Rachel took a deep breath, took off her glasses, then moved closer to Santana. By now Rachel was familiar with Santana's figure that she could tell what was what on Santana's person, she placed one hand on Santana's thigh and the other under Santana's cheek as she pushes her lips against the Latina's.

Santana moans into the kiss and lifts her body up. She pushes Rachel on her back and straddle her, not breaking the kiss. Her tongue teasing Rachel's for a few second, then Santana bite Rachel's bottom lip and pushes her tongue in the woman's mouth. One hand keeps her steady and the other goes under Rachel's shirt and makes her way up.

Rachel moans into the kiss as well, her tongue pushes up against Santana's, then her hand slides up Santana's shirt once again enjoying what she was feeling.

Santana stops and reaches for Rachel's glasses and put them back on. She's well aware of the look Rachel gives her, but if she won't say it now, she's scared she would never say it. "Rach, this isn't another time we have sex," Santana licks her lips and takes a deep breath, "I'm g-going to m-make love to you," It feels like her heart is about to burst out of her chest and she's shaking a little, "B-Because I Love you, Rachel." Santana let it out; that's it, Rachel has her heart and even though Santana feels vulnerable, she trusts Rachel with it.

Rachel's face lit up the second Santana says this, in all honesty she did not expect to hear those magic three words. Her mind was in a million and two places at once, but one thing was for certain, she loved Santana back, and she was more than willing to return this feeling. "I love you too Santana.." She happily says in return.

Once again, Rachel's making her feel truly happy. Santana takes Rachel's glasses off and place them on the nightstand. She then proceeds to peck Rachel's lips and leave a trail of kisses from her lips to her neck. There, Santana sucks and bite Rachel's neck as her hands going back under the woman's shirt and straight to her chest.

Rachel moving her hands away from Santana's thigh to wrap her arms gently around her neck, she pulled Santana as close as she could. Her chest pushing up against Santana's hands, while she kisses at Santana's lips some more.

Santana pulls Rachel's shirt off her body and bite her lips looking at the body she missed so much. "Se le mira como una diosa" Santana says, her voice lower than usual. She kisses Rachel from her lips, along her neck and stops when she gets to her chest. "Te amo." Santana tells Rachel, looking deep into her eyes, then continues where she stops, biting occasionally. With her right hand, Santana makes sure Rachel's other breast gets attention as well.

"Th-Thank you.." Rachel struggles to say as the sensation of what Santana was doing was getting to her, her hips started to move on their own as soft moans leave her body.

The Latina starts to trail kisses down Rachel's body. When she got to her pajama pants, Santana slowly pulls them from Rachel and toss them aside together with her panties. She holds Rachel's hips in place and keeps kissing Rachel's skin until she gets to her center. Santana parts Rachel's legs a bit more and run her index finger along the woman's core, making sure she's ready. Santana moans when she feels how badly Rachel needs her and doesn't waste another moment; she's using her tongue and gently pushes two fingers in, giving Rachel what she long for.

"Ah!" Rachel moaned out as her arms slam on the bed and her hands grip the sheets, her hips were trying to move due to how she felt. Finally, Rachel was getting something she's wanted for a long time.

Santana moves faster, wanting to make Rachel feel good. She missed the woman's body, her taste, her smell and the mixture of those with Rachel moans drives Santana crazy. She can feel Rachel is getting close, so she thrust her fingers harder, but lifts her body. She comes close to Rachel's ear and whisper, "You're so freaking sexy, babe." She husks and kiss beneath Rachel's ear, "I know you close, love, just let go." Santana says and continues her assault on Rachel's neck.

Rachel shook her head, whimpering out in pleasure the faster Santana's fingers go. She breathes heavy and fasts due to her holding her release, she didn't want to do that so soon, she wanted to go a tad longer but her body was begging her to release. "Oh god.." She utters as her body starts to shake.

Slowing down her movement, Santana lets Rachel ride her orgasm. She's placing soft kisses along the woman's jawline, "I will never get used to watch you like that, you're beautiful." Santana pecks Rachel's lips, "And don't worry, the weekend only started and so did I." She winks and hugs Rachel tightly.

Rachel slowly opened her eyes, her breath was shaky as she tries to turn her body to look towards Santana's direction. "I don't think I will ever be used to what you do to me.." She gently nuzzles Santana's nose as she shivers a bit. "God.. You really did a number on me."

"And it doesn't come close to.. How much I love you." Santana says nervously and pulls the blanket over their bodies. "But, as I said, I have lots of time to show you my appreciation." She giggles, mostly to calm her own feelings because they're so intense at the moment.

"I love you too, Santana.." Rachel traced her hand along the side of Santana's body, her fingertips lightly pressing every so often. "I am happy you are comfortable with me, well to the point of saying those three words.." she smiled some more as her breathing became normal.

"Yeah.." Santana blushes and brushes their noses together, "I'm going to wash up. What do you say we take a nap, then order something to eat? Unless you've got other plans, I'm cool with whatever you want." She pulls back, making sure Rachel stays covered. She sits next to the woman, waiting for an answer before going.

"I want to nap, or sleep, one of the two. You tired me out, babe." Rachel chuckled as she lays on her back, yawning into her hand. "Hurry back, I get cold easily." She pointed out.

Santana walks fast to the bathroom and after she washed up, she looks at the mirror. She let out a breath, "I love her." She whispers and smiles. It feels right, hell, Santana wants to say it to Rachel all the time now. But she needs to take it easy and not move too fast or suffocate Rachel; it's been a long time since she was in a committed relationship, but Santana can get really romantic when she lets herself go. "You can't screw this up, Lopez." She looks at her reflection and nods. Santana returns to the bed area and sees Rachel crawls on the bed. She gets in and press her body to Rachel's, her arm wraps protectively around her middle. "Are you ok or do you want me to bring you something warm to wear?" She asks and nuzzles Rachel's neck.

Rachel shook her head and sighed happily. "I am amazing, and it's your fault." She wrapped one arm around Santana's back, taking in this moment that these two were sharing. "I hope you don't mind me asking.. But are we.. Girlfriends now?" She asked, now feeling stupid for asking this. "I mean.. We were dating, then you said you loved me.. So I had to ask."

"Is that your way of asking me, Rach?" Santana poke Rachel's side. She pulls Rachel impossibly closer and gives her a hard kiss on her lips. Santana takes a moment to just look in Rachel's eyes, then answers the question, "Yes, we are girlfriends." She smiles. She gives herself to Rachel and she's not as scared as she thought she'd be if this moment ever comes again.

"I think my life is complete now.." Rachel shyly smiles, keeping her forehead pressed against Santana's. To Rachel, this was the best date she's ever been on. She got to swim with Santana, relax in a hot tub with her, then Santana made love to her, but the best thing in Rachel's eyes was the fact that Santana loves her, and it's like, official.

* * *

**'till next time.**


	16. Chapter 16 - Part II

**The cuteness continues! And some more :)**

**Written with Newphewsnixx.**

**Part II**

* * *

Leo is the one left in charge of taking care of Dani while his sister and Rachel are on their dreamy date. He's never done this before, except with Santana, but it's not the same at all. Dani seems to him like a cool girl and how hard can it be to make sure a teenage girl is well for a few days? When he approached her at the pool, Dani looked in her own world and he wasn't sure how to deal with it. Leo explained to his niece about her mothers' date and made sure she's fine staying with him. Then he suggested they can go to an art museum, he knows Dani likes art from what Santana and his mother told him, and have dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe for dinner because he heard that the food was good after dropping the bags for the girls, he quickly changed clothes and they left the hotel. Leo rented a car so he won't have to take Santana's, put his bags in it and they were on their way to the museum. There, Dani explained to Leo about different things and he got to see her face light up as the tour went on. He less enjoyed being rejected by the tour guide, but Dani seemed to be extremely entertained by it. Now back in the car, with a nice music playing, Leo's trying to find a way to start up a conversation with Dani.

"So Dani, how are things at school?"

"Things are.. Well, things I guess." Dani explained as she looks out the car window. "Sorry, school is kinda the last thing on my mind right now.." She admits shyly.

"It was a stupid question anyway." He glance at Dani, "So, what's the first thing on your mind? Or should I say who?" Leo asks with a smile, "Is that about the cute girl I met over Thanksgiving dinner?"

"I am a cute girl, Rachel and Santana are cute women, but Marley... She's beyond perfect.." Dani leaned back against the seat and sighed "But yes, I have been thinking about her, since her birthday I haven't been feeling so great.. Probably due to something she wants to do when she grows up."

"Already talking about the future?" When Leo was Dani's age, couples weren't that serious, but it might be just these two.. Not that it's a bad thing, on the contrary. "What are her plans? If you don't mind me asking."

Dani looked down for a few moments, unsure if she should even mention this to Leo, she doesn't know him all that well outside of Thanksgiving and them hanging out. Yet at the same time, he's family, officially. Dani knows, in the back of her mind, Leo would not cause her harm for being open, nor would he poke fun at her. "Marley wants to enlist, either Army or Marines.."

"Oh.." He did not expect something like this; this is really heavy and serious. "It's terrifying huh? Would it help if I share my story and the way I see it?" They stop at a red light and Leo takes this time to look at Dani, "I'm not going to try and convince you it's perfect, because it's not."

"Yeah.." She nodded and looked over at Leo.

"I joined the Army because I wanted to be a hero, so everyone would think certain things about me.. I was a brat who thought nothing can stop him." He shakes his head, "I was almost kicked out, but this wasn't my wake up call. My first time in Afghanistan, three days after getting there, was my wake up call." He makes sure to be focused on the road, even when he gets a little emotional, "I've learned to be humble, the meaning of friendship and how to appreciate everything I have." Leo takes a second to breathe, "I know how hard it is for my family. Every time before going on a mission or before I go to sleep, I look at a picture of them and I make sure I'll come back to them just as I left." He glances at Dani and back to the road, "Marley has a lot of time to change her mind, but if she chose to go it's going to be very difficult for both of you. It's important to have that someone who'd keep you strong, but it's a great commitment on your part. You two are very young to think about everything it means, my best advice right now is to talk to one another and just be the young girls you are."

"I guess.." Dani slowly nodded, then looked out the window once more. "I'm not just a little girl though; I had to force myself to be an adult when my biological parents kicked me out." She explains, in a way feeling angered, not by Leo, but by the fact she still had to cope with these demons in her head. "Part of me forgot how to be a child, I mean I had to forget how to be a child.. It was the only way to survive."

"You're very brave, Dani." Leo parks the car and turns to his niece, "But you no longer need to be one. You have a family and I can promise you they'd never let anyone hurt you." He says with confidence. "I'm not sure if Santana knows, but a few years ago I went through a really bad time and it brought up my father's death. I was very stubborn and thought I could handle it on my own, until my commander told me either I take care of myself or he's sending me to a rear base. To make a long story short, it turns out I have PTSD and now I'm treating myself." Leo tells Dani the PG version of the story, taking out the parts that would scare the young girl, "I told you that because when I finally took care of myself, I could genuinely be happy and function. You're so young, Dani, and you should be able to enjoy being your age, have fun and cause your moms some trouble." He chuckles at the end to light the mood.

"Well, I do like to screw with them." Dani smirked towards Leo's direction, "Thank you, Uncle Leo.." She said in a calm tone of voice. "That means a lot that you were willing to spill your guts."

Leo smiles, "I need to squeeze as much of my wisdom as I can while I'm here." He shrugs and gets out of the car, "And you should use me; I'm much cooler than your mom. Also, I know a lot about having fun and how to get to your mom and I'm allowing you to blame me if they'd get upset, although I'm pretty sure the fact that I'm far away won't stop neither my sister or Rachel from coming and kick my ass." He laughs as his eyes follow Dani as she gets out of the car.

Dani shut the door and chuckles some, "No matter what, they don't get too mad at me, I've said some things to them that normal 14 year old kids wouldn't say to adults." She pointed out as she looked up at the big sign. "I've been by this place many times, never once have I eaten here."

"So what are we waiting for? Let's go eat until we can't eat anymore!" Leo almost yells the last part and starts walking, "And who can get mad at you? You're too cute." He puts his hand on Dani's shoulder, gives it a little squeeze and leave, not wanting to make the girl uncomfortable, "Come on, maybe my future wife is there."

"Yeah and maybe Michael Jordan will come out of retirement." Dani jokes as she follows Leo into the restaurant.

* * *

Dani and Leo had a big, enjoyable meal at The Hard Rock Cafe, then drove back home. They got there pretty fast and Dani showed Leo the way to their apartment. From the first moment Leo walks in he can feel how homey the place is. He looks around while taking his coat off, "A very nice home." Leo says and looks at Dani, "You think you have marshmallows?" He asks out of nowhere.

"No, both my moms are kinda health nuts.. Rachel more than Santana." Dani set her bag beside the couch, and then walked to the kitchen. "But I think my Aunt Porcelain and Uncle L'Oreal might have some marshmallows."

Leo raises his eyebrow, "Who? I thought Rachel is an only child.."

"Kurt and Blaine, they live down the hall. Your sister told me to call Kurt 'Auntie Porcelain' and to pretty much call Blaine 'Uncle' and any hair product name I could think of." Dani explains with a slight smile on her face. "Want me to go see?"

"This girl.." He shakes his head, "I don't want to bother them, I wanted to put it in our hot cocoa, but we don't have to." Leo scratches the back of his head.

"Ooh.. I have a wicked craving for S'mores.. One time when I was staying over at Marley's house, her mom made these awesome S'mores brownies, they were freaking awesome." The pink haired girl held her stomach and smiled more. "I remember how they tasted, the graham crackers, chocolate kisses, and marshmallows mushed inside the brownie.."

Dani, sweetheart, believe me, you don't want me to make you anything; you'll get indigestion and your moms would hurt me." Leo points out, "If you're still hungry we can order something.." He suggests quickly.

"I just have dessert cravings, no biggie." Dani waved her hand, and then walked to the living room, approaching the DVD shelf. "Chances are nothing good is on T.V, so let's watch a movie." She suggests while placing her index finger on the spine of the cases and trailed across the DVD's in hopes to find one she likes. "Action or Comedy?"

"Comedy? Let's laugh a little and not at me." He gives Dani a playful glare, "When is your bedtime?" Leo walks to the kitchen to make them hot cocoa.

"On school nights I go to bed around 9:30, but I stay up and text Marley 'til she goes to sleep, so around 10:45 is when I normally sleep, but since it's winter break, I don't have a bedtime.." Dani widened her eyes a bit. "Come to think of it, they never gave me a bed time.. I just picked my own time and they never say anything on the matter.." She points out before going back to her searching. "TV shows or movies? We got some box sets of sitcoms."

"We can watch a movie or two, then sleep.. Or you have your texting time with your girlfriend and I sleep." Leo chuckles as makes their drinks.

"Okay.." Dani looked closer at the collection when suddenly, her phone rings. "Holy sh.. Crap." She gulped, then answered her phone. "Hello, you scared a 14 year old girl, how may I help you?" Dani asked in a playfully sarcastic tone.

_"How may you.. Young lady, you better lose the attitude and tell me how much you miss your moms."_ Santana answers from the other side of the line.

"I love you Mama." Dani chuckles softly. "I miss you both so much, and I wish you both were here so I can have some treats." She explains while continuing to look through the DVD's.

Santana laughs and shakes her head, _"I'm glad to hear you're well, sweetie. Did Uncle Leo fed you or just gave you some a snack?"_

"I had a nice, big, fat, juicy, steakhouse burger at the Hard Rock Cafe. Also Leo tried to hit on one of the waitresses there.. It was hilarious to see him try." Dani explains while pulling out a few choices for her and Leo to watch. "How are you and Mom doing?"

_"I swear to God, I'm going to kill him!"_ Santana says to Rachel more than to Dani,_"We're doing great, this place is amazing."_ She says happily. _"It's good to hear you're having fun. I just wanted to make sure you're alright and tell you that if you need us, just call."_

"You know I will." She placed the DVD's on the coffee table then looked at them closely. "Don't forget, Monday afternoon we have to go to Elliot's audition. You know, for support and all. Plus we could use Leo to make him buy us all lunch." Dani says as she looks in Leo's direction and smiled some.

Leo looks back at Dani as he walks to the living room and shakes his head. He's placing the cups on the table and sits on the couch and waits for Dani.

_"That's my girl!"_ Santana laughs, _"Don't worry, we're going to be there. And I was the captain of the cheerleading team in my high school, Elliot is set for support."_ Santana tells Dani, _"So we wish you good night and to keep having fun and we love you. Now, can I talk to your uncle, baby?"_

"Here." Dani hands Leo the phone, "Your death wants to talk to you." she says in a ghostly like voice. "Oogah boogah." Dani tries to be scary but knows deep down she is the opposite of that.

"You might have to work on that." Leo laughs as he takes the phone, "What do you want, sis? Can't you just let us have fun?" Leo asks his sister and still laughs.

_"You hitting on girls with my kid there is not fun, Leo Lopez!"_ Santana practically growls, _"She's young, she-"_

"Yeah, yeah.." He gets up, takes his cup and step away from Dani, "So, are you having the best time of your life?" He smirks and takes a sip.

_"Well, I guess you deserve a thank you. It's really great here, that's all you get."_

"You are no fun.."

_"You better shut about it or I will kick your ass."_ Santana warns him_, "Be serious for a second. You need to know that Dani has nightmares, bad ones, so you need to calm her down, call us and be with her all night, ok? Or you can get Kurt to come."_

Leo watches his niece from where he stands and wishes he could tear apart the people who harmed her so badly, "I get it, San. She's in good hands, I'm won't let her get hurt."

_"Good. Now, if at any point Marley comes, Dani's door must open and you need to make sure everything remains innocent."_ Santana tells her brother, who giggles and says he will do just that, _"Great. Make sure she takes a shower and don't go to bed too late. Oh, and please don't make her anything to eat, we have a drawer full of places that you can order from."_

"God! You're being ridiculous! She's fine and she'd stay like that when you'd get home. Please, have fun on your weekend and let us have our bonding time." Leo tells his sister, his tone too calm. Santana agrees and tells him good night. Leo returns the blessing and hangs up. He walks back to the sofa and sits down, taking a big sip from his drink, "Your mom is too much sometimes.." He shakes his head and place the phone on the table.

"Yeah, but I love her." Dani scratched the back of her head while looking at each movie. "So, what do you wanna watch? I picked between Junior which has that Arnold... Some name with the S and Danny DeVito, and I have Rush Hour."

"You're into old movies? Nice.." He looks closely at Dani, "Let's start with Rush Hour. Do you need me to warm up your cocoa?"

"Nah, I like to wait for the drink to cool down." She smiles up at her uncle then gets up to go put the movie in. "I can't believe T.V's like this are of the norm now." she mentions as she puts the DVD in the T.V. "When I was like 6 HDTV's were normal, now T.V.'s have Blu-ray players and internet.. It's kinda amazing."

"You know what I can't believe? How much you're like your moms.. It's insane, it's like they both created you." Leo says as he relaxes on the couch, "Come on, let's watch before it'd get too late."

"How?" Dani hit play on the remote. "How am I like my mothers? Everyone and their mothers have been telling me how alike we are." She points out before laying on the love seat, looking at the TV screen.

"Your personality is like the combination of them. I don't know Rachel too well, but I can see her in you. And let's not talk about my sister, the similarity scares me something." He chuckles and leans on his side.

* * *

Back in the hotel, Santana hangs the phone and rest her head back on the pillow. The couple had their nap and ate dinner, now they're just lying in bed. "What should we do? You want to order dessert or something?"

"Yeah, what'cha want?" Rachel reached over to the room phone, picking it up then looking back at Santana.

"What about strawberries, chocolate and whipped cream?" Santana smirks, "Also, maybe something to drink?"

Rachel pounded a few numbers on the phone, and then lifted it up to her ear. "Hi.. Yeah, I'd like.." She said as she pulled the menu from the nightstand. "I want the desert platter, with extra strawberries, and whipped cream.. For the drinks I want.." Rachel covered the mic end of the phone. "Babe, what do you want to drink?"

"Tequila?" Santana tells Rachel while texting.

"Do you have Tequila?.. No? Uh.. Okay then just some Lager.. Two lite and two normal.. Okay. Thanks." Rachel hung up, then placed everything back, afterwards she scooted to Santana, resting her head on the Latina's shoulder. "Is it weird that I am still exhausted from earlier?" She asked then gave Santana a lip bitten smile.

"Yeah, I'm that good." Santana laughs and puts her back on the nightstand. She places one arm around Rachel shoulders, "I'm very happy you enjoyed, but you'll need your energies for the rest of the weekend."

"Good is an understatement." Rachel looked up at Santana with a blush across her face. "You know, I'm thinking of doing something extraordinary this Christmas." She says while tracing her hand against Santana's stomach.

"You mean waking up really early to open gifts with our daughter isn't enough?" Santana kisses Rachel's forehead. "What do you have in mind?"

"Well, for one the presents aren't home, they are in my office in my safe." Rachel points out as she pecks Santana's chin. "I was thinking we could go to the studio, it's bigger and we are spending time with Millie, Marley and Elliot on Christmas Day.. So we could spend it there, since it's much bigger than our apartment, and we could dance to Christmas songs, laugh and I could get the small ass T.V from the closet space in my office out and we could all watch A Christmas Story throughout the day."

"It sounds lovely, Rach. I just thought we could spend some time just the three of us." Santana says nervously and fingers are tracing Rachel's side.

"Tell you what." Rachel says as she gets up to straddle Santana's lap, she then cups the Latina's face and placed a gentle kiss on her lips. "I plan on having us there as early as possible, I'd say around 8 in the morning, we spend from 8 to about 2 in the afternoon, then it will just be me, you and Dani the rest of the day, we can go back home, cuddle up with some hot chocolate, watch Dani mess around with her gift and take in the rest of the holiday." She suggests with a smile. "What do you say?"

Santana wraps her arms around Rachel's lower back and nods, "Yeah, that sounds perfect." She smiles back, "Though, I'm probably not in my right mind with you straddling me with only a big jersey on." Santana giggles and goes for a kiss, when there is a knock on the door. Santana sighs, "You stay here." She bites her lips and gets out of bed. Santana takes some money from her wallet, and then walks to answer the door. She gets the tray, says a quick thank you while giving the man the tip and closes the door. She steps back to bed and carefully place the food on it and gives Rachel her drink. Santana puts the rest of the drinks on the nightstand and climb back up.

"Did he give us a bottle opener?" Rachel asks as she tries to get the cap off.

"He did, I must've dropped it." Santana gets up again and steps back to the door. She picks up the bottle opener; walks back to bed and hand it to Rachel. "Too much walking, I'm tired..." Santana says and lifts her pillow, putting it against the headboard, so she could lean on it.

"If you're tired, get some more rest." Rachel says as she opens her bottle of lager. "I hear this stuff is great, better than the stuff we buy at the store." She mentions before taking a sip. "..Yup, this is amazing stuff."

"And pass on eating strawberries with chocolate?" Santana raises her eyebrow and slowly her lips form a smirk, "By the way, the whipped cream is not for the dessert." She winks and takes the bottle opener from Rachel.

"Oh, my." Rachel winked at Santana as she takes another sip of her drink; afterwards she set her drink down then moved to Santana. "I have yet to give you pleasure, you realize that?" She says while running one hand slowly down Santana's body.

"You haven't, huh? It's not very nice of you, babe." Santana takes a sip from her drink, "You said you would, then got me all hot and bothered and now you only wear this shirt that I can't wait to tear from your body." Santana pouts, her body lean to Rachel's touch on it's on.

Rachel leaned slightly, arching her back a bit to stick her ass out as she kisses at Santana's neck. Slowly, Rachel's hand goes up Santana's shirt to feel something Rachel has felt before, she bites her lip at the touch of her girlfriend's core. "This hotel better have a good cleaning crew." Rachel whispers into Santana's ear before sliding two fingers against her area.

"Holy Shi.. Rach!" Santana's hips jerk forward and she almost drops the bottle. She, somehow, manages to put it on the nightstand and cups Rachel's face. "Checking to see if I was lying?" Santana tries her best playful tone, but it doesn't come out as plan because what Rachel is doing to her. She tries to gain to control by pushing her body against Rachel so she could straddle her, but her body is a little weak.

"It's your turn to have the shirt off.." Rachel raises a brow as she continues to slide her fingers against Santana. "I want to see that perfect body of yours.." She seductively growls while demanding this of Santana.

Having Rachel in control turning out to be a huge turn on for Santana and she feels electric waves inside her body. She crosses her arms, holds on the hem of her shirt and slowly and seductively taking the item from her body, making sure to stretch as much as she can. "It's not fair, you're breaking the only rule we had.. I want you naked." Her voice has power in it, but at the end Santana let out a moan. Her body feels like it's on fire and she needs much more than Rachel's slow tease, "And please, Rach, I'll die if you won't go faster."

Rachel bit down on her lower lip due to how attractive she thought Santana's moans were, she almost gave in to take her shirt off, but she had a different idea. "Just wait, my dear." She says while fastening the pace of her stroking. "My fingers haven't even gone inside you and you're already tensing up."

"Have you met yourself? How can I not?" Santana straightening up a bit more and press her front on Rachel, she leans forward and whisper in her ear, "I'm thinking how much I want to use that whipped cream on your body and get that sight and sounds I got earlier." Santana starts sucking on Rachel's neck and pushing the woman's body back.

"Like I said, just wait." Rachel said in between breaths as she pushes her middle and ring finger inside of Santana's core, having them move at a slow pace to start out.

"Jesus, fuck!" Santana moans and buries her head in the crook of Rachel's neck. She might be on top, but all she can do is moan and press her body closer to Rachel as she's trying to thrust her hips faster and that due to what Rachel is doing to her.

"Say my name." Rachel demands as her fingers start moving faster, as time went on Rachel's fingers went as deep as they could inside Santana, and she was enjoying how Santana felt on the inside.

Santana would never let anyone be the dominant one, not even when it's her who gets the pleasure, but with Rachel it's different; she loves the woman and trusts her. Santana's body shiver when she hears Rachel demand, "Oh, y-yes, Rachel!" She moans in her ear and bites her neck from time to time.

With her free hand Rachel lightly scratches Santana's back, specifically going up and down her spine. "God, you're just perfect." she compliments as her thumb flicks against the Santana's clit.

Santana moves her hair to one shoulder, then her hands go under Rachel's shirt. She lifts her body and moves her hips faster. She looks down at Rachel, her eyes dark with lust, yet full of love, and lower her head to kiss her girlfriend. "Rachel, you're so freaking good. I just need it faster, I'm so close." She mumbles against her lips and pushes her tongue in.

Rachel sucks on Santana's tongue and softly moans from the kiss, her fingers move in a gyrating motion while her thumb continues to play with Santana's clit.

Santana's body rocks as she feels her orgasm getting closer and closer. She's kissing Rachel passionately, sucking her tongue and biting her lips. When it's almost time, Santana breaks the kiss and make an effort to keep her eyes open and focused on Rachel's. Both of their lips are swollen, they're panting and Santana can't control how loud her moaning gets. It's a mixture of English and Spanish, but all about how good Rachel's making her feel. A few other strokes and thrusts and Santana get her orgasm, "Sí, Rachel, no te detengas. Oh, God, Rachel!" The Latina collapse on Rachel, nuzzling her neck and trying to catch her breath.

Rachel looked at Santana with a calm blush on her face "Forgive me for repeating myself.. But damn you are fucking perfect." She says while smiling. "Now.. Time to actually make love.." Rachel carefully moves Santana off of her so she can sit up, Rachel takes her glasses off, then pulls her shirt off, tossing it to the side. Then she puts her glasses back on to look at Santana.

"Look how developed a stamina." Santana chuckles, "What about the strawberries?" She pulls Rachel against her, "I thought we can eat some, then I can use the whipped cream for the_real_ dessert." Her eyes scan Rachel's body with her tongue between her teeth.

"San.." She frowns slightly. "I want to make love.. Passionate love, not kink.. Please.." Rachel asks with needy eyes.

"I'm sorry! Shit, I'm sorry." Santana sits up and moves her hand in her hair, feeling shitty about even thinking about it. Except from earlier, it's been ages since Santana made love with someone and moments like this makes her doubt that she could only do it like that again. "I just need a moment." She says pulls the covers on her body. Santana doesn't want to get out of bed and leave Rachel, but she needs to sort her thoughts just for a second.

Rachel looked down as she grabbed her shirt. "N-No I am sorry.." She got out of bed, quickly putting her shirt back on, then she started walking towards the door, holding on to her stomach.

"No, Rach, stop!" She sighs, hating herself for making the woman she loves feel bad. "I'm sorry, I'm screwed up and I suck at being a girlfriend while you're perfect." She gets up from the bed, covering her body with the sheet. "It's like doing it all over again; first relationship, first 'I love you' and first time making love. I didn't do it for who knows how long and I'm so used to sex in all kinds of different ways." Santana stands in front of Rachel with tears in her eyes, "I needed a moment to stop acting like a dom and be a girlfriend." Her lips start to quiver and she looks down, "You p-promised you won't l-leave."

Rachel gently hooked her arms around Santana, gently pressing her forehead against the other woman's. "I was.. I wasn't leaving you, I just wanted to get a cup of water to settle my stomach.." She confessed. "You didn't screw up, honestly." She said as she rubs her nose against Santana's, then she took her glasses off and rests her forehead against Santana's, then looks towards her direction. "I love you.. Okay? W-When I said I wanted us to make love I meant.. Both of us, making love to each other.." Rachel nervously bit her lip after explaining that. "I didn't mean to make you worry, and I didn't mean to scare you, honey.. I'm so sorry.."

Santana sighs as some tears rolling down her face. She hugs Rachel tightly; she feels stupid for thinking Rachel is leaving, but she's still nervous and upset and just needs to feel close to the woman. "I love you too." Santana says and gulps. "I want us to make love, more than anything, I'm just scared that, somewhere inside me, I'll have the need for that roughness sometimes," Her voice shakes and her head still on Rachel's shoulder, "And I don't want to make you do things or hurt you."

"Baby.." Rachel holds Santana close to her and hums softly. "Would you feel better if I came back to bed?" She asks as she puts her glasses back on.

"I don't know, I feel like running away and drink 'till I pass out." She says weakly.

"Well you won't." Rachel softly kisses Santana's temple. "Come on.." She says while walking with Santana back to the bed. "We're going to cuddle, eat strawberries, and watch the snuff films that every hotel has on TV."

"That doesn't solve the problem, Rach." Santana stops and looks at Rachel while wiping her eyes, "I want to cuddle with you, tell you that I love you and make love to you whole weekend long. But you got to understand that getting creative in the bedroom is something I can't just stop wanting.." Santana tightens her hold on the sheet and feels how their perfect weekend gets ruined.

"I understood that the second I fell for you." Rachel looks at Santana with a slight smile on her face. "I am willing to be creative, and make what we do in the bedroom better than before.. Don't tell me you didn't think that." She places her hands on Santana's shoulders.

"I don't know what to think and last time we didn't talk, it ended in an awful fight." Santana bites her lip, "I don't want you to do those things just for me, so be honest with me here." She tells Rachel and brushes their noses together.

"Once again, I am willing to. It's not one of those things that are _just _for you, it's for my pleasure as well." Rachel softly pecks Santana's lips. "The fight spawned because I wanted to be with you so badly, that it hurt to think that you wouldn't consider it.." She mentions. "But I have you, and you have me.. That's what makes it different, we're official, babe." Rachel winks. "So we can do whatever we want to spice up the sex, and be able to be all lovey-dovey at any point in time."

"Ugh, I just love you and I'm sorry." Santana pecks Rachel's lips. A small smirk form on her lips as she looks down at Rachel, "You need to lose the shirt, babe." She kisses her cheek and gets on the bed, "Come here, we have the drinks we order and I need to eat some of these strawberries to get my energy back, you drained me." Santana winks at her and hands her a bottle.

"I still have mine actually." Rachel climbs onto the bed, leaning against Santana. "You know, when was the last time we.. Hung out? We act lovey and stuff, which I love more than anything.. But like my idea of the perfect time spending with you, is lounging, and watching those terrible horror films from the 50's. Remember?"

"Remember? That was my favorite way to spend my time." Santana brings the tray closer to them puts one hand around Rachel's waist, "Let's eat this dessert and just relax for a little while."

Rachel grabbed her phone and looked at the hotel's TV Guide app. "Hey, they are doing a marathon of the original Psycho series." She pointed out then grabbed a strawberry. "Wanna watch it?" She asks.

Santana watch Rachel eats the strawberry and feels like a teenager with how easily she gets turned on. "Yeah, yeah, of course.." She mumbles, then takes a few large sips from her drink.

Rachel grabs the remote, hits the power button then changes the channel to the movie channel. "Damn, we missed the first one." She slightly pouted then reached for one of the spoons, then stopped due to her remembering that Santana wanted her shirt off. "Hey, you want my shirt off but you're clenching that bed sheet like your life depended on it."

"If we're going to just chill, we should have at least some fabric on. I don't know how much I trust myself not to let my hands wander." Santana says. She takes a strawberry, dip it in the chocolate and eat it, "Hm, so good!"

"Relaxing was your idea San. That's not fair to tell me to do that, but then say we should relax." Rachel playfully pouts towards Santana's direction. "Maybe I want little fabric on, at all.. Maybe I want no fabric.." she continued to pout.

"I only suggested it to get back some energy so I could make love to you all night." Santana points out, "And this pout going to be the death of me!" She giggles and pecks Rachel's lips, "I didn't think this through; having your perfect body exposed, eating those damn strawberries and lying next to me isn't a good idea." Santana says and scratches her head, "So, are you enjoying being in a relationship with someone who has the sex drive of a teenager?" Santana shakes her head and drink some more.

"Sex drive of a teenager, but the body of a goddess? Hey I can cope." Rachel joked as she kisses Santana's neck once. "Besides, it's not the sex drive of someone I love, it's the person herself that I love."

"I love you too, babe." Santana place her bottle on the nightstand, then snuggles into Rachel, "You're amazing.

"Your fault." Rachel smiles as she holds Santana's hand, feeling warm from Santana's embrace.

The couple spent the rest of the night cuddling and watching old movies. At some point Santana noticed Reach fell asleep, so she covered their bodies a little more, turned off the TV and kissed the woman's cheek. She wrapped her arms protectively around her and dozed off on the most comfortable bed in the world.

* * *

The morning hit and Rachel was happily snug against Santana when her eyes slowly opened. Rachel felt around for her glasses, once she had them in her hand, she put them on then got out of bed slowly. She observed Santana's sleeping person in awe; the fact that Rachel gets to wake up to such a beautiful woman every day, was something she indeed loved. Rachel started pacing towards the bathroom, but saw Santana's phone on her nightstand. An idea popped in Rachel's head as she walked towards the phone, picking it up, then quickly, but quietly walked to the bathroom, shutting the door even quieter than her steps. She flipped the light on, then took the jersey off of her, she went to the camera app on Santana's phone, switched it to front cam then angled it to where it showed off her face and chest, she gave a lip bitten glare towards the camera then clicked 'Take Picture'. Rachel could not believe she took a nude picture, on someone else's phone at that, but she didn't mind this one bit. After she got washed up, she got out of the bathroom, placing the phone back on the nightstand beside Santana, then she climbed on the bed, straddled Santana's lap, then inched her body closer, placing gentle kisses from Santana's neck to her lips. "Good morning, love.." She said before pushing her lips against her girlfriend's.

"Hmm.." Santana's hands immediately find Rachel's waist and pulling her closer. "No morning. Sleep." The Latina mumbles and brushes her face on Rachel's, her eyes still closed. She covers them with the blanket and hugs Rachel tightly, dozing off quickly.

Rachel's face lit up; not only was she naked and on top of Santana, she was.. Well on top of Santana, and Rachel wanted her girlfriend to wake up to something sweet, so she placed a couple kisses on Santana's chest. "San.. wake up.."

Santana is not entirely sure what's going on at the moment, but she wishes it'd happen every morning. "Babe, it's Sunday, we're in a hotel, we need to sleep." She says in a sleepy voice and opens one eye. "And I might get used to waking up like this." One of her hand slides down to Rachel's ass and gives it a squeeze.

"How are you going to get used to it if you don't wake up?" Rachel asked as she gently rubbed their noses together. "We only have about twenty-five hours before our time at this hotel is up, and I want to use up as much of those seconds we have on you.." She said as she rested her head against Santana's chest, her hand gently running up and down the Latina's stomach.

"_On_ me or..." Santana smirks and chuckles. Her eyes open, she yawn and stretch her body, then returns her hand around Rachel. Santana sniffs Rachel's hair and kiss her head, "You took a shower already? When did you wake up?" Santana asks as her hands roams on Rachel's body.

"'Bout an hour ago, I was gonna wake you up then but I figured you needed some more sleep, well until I wanted you awake." Rachel smirked some as she nuzzled Santana's shoulder. "I may have done something that's totally sexy, but something I will probably never do again."

"Rach, there is nothing wrong with taking care of yourself." Santana says with a smile and lifts Rachel's head, "It's kinda part of my job, but it's cool. Though, you could've let me watch." She pouts and bites her lip.

"Not that.. Hell I don't think I've really done.. _That _in a very long time.. Check your phone." Rachel bit her own lip, keeping a slight smile on her face.

Santana frowns, "Ok.." She reaches for her phone and unlocks it. A picture comes up and Santana jaw drops, "Holy shit, this is perfection. I'd put it as my wallpaper if I could. Hell, I'd print it as a poster and hang it in my room." Santana looks back at Rachel, "You are so beautiful, babe."

Rachel's face is flushed as she pulls the covers over her head. "Oh my god, why do I feel embarrassed?" She exclaimed as she shakes her head. "I'm uh.. I'm glad you love it.."

"Have I told you how cute you are?" Santana gets under the covers as well, "You're also the kindest person I know and talented, so pretty and I'm addicted to your smell and cuddles." She tells Rachel while kissing her face.

"W-Well.." Rachel blushes and bites her lower lip. "I might be cute, but you're still perfect.." She slightly tilted her head then softly pecked Santana's chin. "So fucking perfect."

"I think I should go brush my teeth, I don't want to kiss you with morning breath." Santana says and pulls the covers off their heads, "And maybe take a cold shower, because my naked girlfriend is so freaking hot." Her eyes darken a little.

"Well, we do got a big day ahead of us today." Rachel sat up, resting her hands on her lap. "This village has really nice clothes stores, figured that maybe I could treat you to a new outfit.. Not that you need it, but I want to get you an early Christmas present." She said as her hands travel from her lap to Santana's hands.

"And I thought we're not leaving the room.. Yeah, but it can be nice to do things and eat out. It'd give me a chance to spoil you." Santana says with a smile, "Are you up for another shower? It can be steamy and hot, instead of just me under the cold water."

Rachel raised a brow, then smirked down at Santana, "I'm down to another shower.. También quiero que sensual cuerpo presionado contra la mía.." She said in a low seductive tone.

"Just when I thought you can't get any sexier.." Santana bites her lip, then gently moves Rachel to the side and gets up. "Come on, we have a big day." She repeats Rachel's words, winks and starts walking, putting a little show for Rachel with how she moves her hips.

Rachel got out of bed the second she watched Santana's hips move, in a trance she followed closely, biting down on her lip to contain any sexual excitement until they get into the shower.

The hot water quickly fills the room with steam. Santana steps closer to her girlfriend, but from behind, and wraps her hands around her. "Thank you, Rach, for everything." She tells her and starts kissing her neck. Santana's hands travel up and down Rachel's body; tracing under and around her chest, stroking her inner thighs and caressing her stomach.

"Th-Thank me for what?" Rachel asks while blushing a fair amount.

"This date." Santana starts and kisses Rachel's cheek, "For not giving up." She's kisses down her neck, "For loving me and being amazing." Santana kisses her collar bone and gives her shoulder a gentle bite.

"Ahh.." Rachel softly moaned out in pleasure, she started to breath at a slightly faster pace. "I.. I'm amazing?" She asked.

Santana turns so she could look at Rachel's eyes, never let her hands go, "Beyond amazing. And I'll say it until you believe, I'll say it until I wouldn't be able anymore." She brings Rachel closer and holds her tight, her eyes focus on the woman as she opens up some more.

A smile is seen on Rachel's face as she gently brushes her nose against Santana's. "This is probably the best weekend of my life.." She proudly admits. "If anything I should be the one thanking you, for everything you've done for me... And putting up with my cheesy romantic attitude." She chuckles.

Santana shrugs, "I like being romantic with you." She connects their lips for a quick, hot kiss.

Rachel gently bites Santana's bottom lip, slightly sucking on it as well. Rachel's hands travel around her girlfriend's back as she pushes into the kiss, her tongue nudging against Santana's.

Santana moans and deepens the kiss; her tongue caressing Rachel's and her lips sucking her plump lips. She gently pushes Rachel to the wall, making sure they won't slip. Santana parts Rachel's legs with hers and step closer, applying pressure on her girlfriend's center. Her hands rest on Rachel's hips, from time to time Santana stroke her inner thigh, close to where she's sure Rachel needs her.

Soft panting is heard from Rachel due to Santana's actions, and Rachel's hands went towards Santana's torso, then down a bit to her thigh. Rachel kept her hands on Santana's thighs, at times she would caress them.

Slowly, Santana breaks the kiss and cups Rachel's face. She watches how Rachel's lips are looking for hers and a small pout form when they can't. "Babe, you want to move to the hot tub? I'm not sure you'd last on your feet." Santana manages to say, even through her lust.

"Y-Yes.." Rachel nods with a smile on her face. "You'll help me walk there, right?" She asks feeling a tiny bit nervous.

"Walk?" Santana raises her eyebrow, then smile. Santana picks Rachel up without any problems, closes the faucet and walks to the hot tub when she feels Rachel's legs wraps around her.

Rachel holds onto Santana and starts to giggle, "I forgot how strong you are." She points out as her legs tighten their grip, but not enough to hurt Santana.

"I'm just showing off." The Latina winks and let Rachel down, "Be careful, mi amor." She tells her girlfriend and steps in, keeping an eye on Rachel the whole time.

Rachel reaches out towards the handrail, using it to guide her into the hot tub, the second she gets in she sits down. "Ah, so warm." She smiles some more.

Santana giggles at her girlfriend and moves closer to her, "Yeah, it's so great here and the company isn't too bad as well." She smiles, then peck Rachel's lips.

"If and when we get our own house, we're getting a hot tub in the backyard." Rachel says as she wraps one arm around Santana's waist, then rests her head upon her girlfriend's shoulder. "Also, we're getting a fireplace."

"Babe, we do earn more money, but enough for those things?" Santana asks as her hands travel on Rachel's body, "And think the backyard place through; you really want me to make love to you outside, where a certain teen we know can walk in on us?" She raises her eyebrow, then start kissing Rachel's neck.

"It could be somewhat closed off.. And it'd be cheaper to have it out in a backyard than it would inside the house." Rachel tries to explain knowing that Santana is kissing her neck. "A-Als.. Also.. If I end up touring, it will be the biggest pay of my career.." She continues explaining as she breathes in and out deeply.

"You know, Dani made everything in our life better. You proved me wrong, so, so wrong." She pecks Rachel's lips, then kisses her way back to her neck and collar bone. Her hands move up to the woman's chest and start massaging them.

Rachel moans out due to Santana massaging her chest, her hand slowly moves towards the Latina's leg, moving it towards the inside of her leg.

Santana moves one hand to Rachel's wait and the other to her hip and press their bodies close. She starts to move back and forward while looking straight in Rachel's eyes. "Te amo, mi amor." She whispers and rocks her hips a little faster. Santana kissing Rachel all over; from her face, to her neck and down her chest as far as she can reach.

"I-I love you t-too.." Rachel bites down on her lip as her own hips start to move a little, then her hand runs against Santana's core.

Santana moans against Rachel's skin. She moves just a little faster, putting the right amount of pressure. She's kissing her way up to under Rachel's ear and whispers, "You good, babe or do you want.." She taps her fingers on Rachel's lips and nibbles her lobe.

"M-More.." Rachel moans out. "I want more.." She closes her eyes and breathes in and out some more.

Not wasting another moment, Santana lifts Rachel's right leg and pushes two fingers inside, moving them hard and fast in and out and making sure to hit Rachel's clit as she goes. Knowing Rachel's body, Santana lets her build her orgasm before going too fast. She continues sucking and biting her girlfriend's sweet spots, stealing glances at the woman's face and watching how pretty and sexy she looks.

"F-Fuck!" Rachel's hips move on her own. Whenever Santana takes control, Rachel feels powerless, but in the best way possible, luckily for her she wasn't bound by the old rules anymore, so she pushed two fingers inside Santana, returning the same pace. "S-Santana.. Oh!" She continues to moan.

"Oh my.. Rach!" Her body jerks forwards and even though she didn't expect this to happen right now, her hips start rocking fast against Rachel's fingers. Santana moans and whispers in Spanish in Rachel's ear as her fingers thrust faster, hitting just near where it feels the best, not wanting to send Rachel over the edge just yet.

Rachel's breathing goes faster the more Santana's fingers thrust inside, and it was driving Rachel bat-shit crazy, and she loved every level of crazy she was driven to. Her free hand grips the lip of the hot tub in hopes to distract her from losing it completely, the two fingers Santana was riding started to twirl inside of her.

"It feels so good, d-don't stop!" Rachel's touch does things to her that no one ever did, she knows exactly how to work her. Sharing this with someone you love and loves you, being able to look them in the eyes and completely letting go makes it perfect. Her hips and fingers move harder and faster, "Don't stop, so close!" Santana moans and rest her forehead on Rachel, "I want to do it together. Can you?" She asks close to Rachel's lips, her chest rise and fall fast.

"Y-Yes.." She quietly moaned. "I.. I.." Rachel's body was shaking as her fingers move in and out of Santana even faster. "F-F..Fuck.." She was struggling to not release right then, and Santana wasn't making it easy, not that Rachel would want this to be easy, but Santana's fingers had the magic to force Rachel to release despite her struggles. This time though, Rachel wanted Santana to come with her, the idea of it was more romantic than sexual in her mind.

Santana bites her lower lip, wanting to last just a little bit longer. She captures Rachel's lips and kissing her slowly and softly. She cups her face with her free hand, feeling Rachel's leg she was holding, wraps around her and how Rachel response to the kiss. Santana pulls back and looks at the woman who got her to open up again and give love a second chance, the woman she could end up spending many years with. That's it, Rachel's fingers going to push her over the edge and it feels better every time. "O-Oh God, fuck." Santana bites her lips, closing her eyes for a few second, "I c-can't.. Rach, come with me." Santana looks at Rachel with so much love, so much that she's surprising even herself. Her body starts to shake and she's fighting her body to stay focused on Rachel, biting her lip as hard as she could and keeps thrusting her fingers fast.

"Fuck.. Fuck... Oh fuck!" Rachel moans out, not able to hold in her orgasm any longer, her body shakes from the sensation Santana was giving.

"Te amo tanto, mi reina" Santana says, breathing heavily, then resting her forehead on Rachel's shoulder. That was definitely the best time she ever had.

Rachel's body was still shaking as she slowly moved her fingers out of Santana, she then held on to her girlfriend as tight as she could. "I.. I love you too.. My goddess.." She looks towards Santana, gently cupping her face and pressing her lips against the Latina's.

Santana returns the kiss, but slowly. She feels exhausted; both emotionally and physically. Her hands lock around Rachel and holding her as tight.

Rachel eventually felt relaxed during their kiss, at least relaxed enough to where she wasn't shaky anymore. She slowly stopped the kiss, but kept her eyes closed for a few moments, when she opened them she bit her lower lip. "Th-Thank you.." She was able to utter as she took deep breaths.

"You don't need to thank me, Rach. I love taking care of you, in every aspect, and I will keep doing it until you tell me to stop." Santana smiles and nuzzles Rachel's neck, pretty sure she can fall asleep right there.

"I do need to thank you.. For so many things that I've already thanked you for, but I am glad you're willing to take care of me in every aspect." Rachel ran her hand up and down Santana's back, pressing her fingertips against the spine. "What that was.. Just.. I can't even word it.."

"Me too. I guess that's what happens when two people love each other and fit together." Santana mumbles. She feels at home with Rachel that she let go of her guards, most of them, at least. She went through a lot of shit in her life, but with Rachel she can live the life she wanted and be the person she really is. Santana still nervous and scared, but Rachel proves to her that she doesn't have to be and she does it without knowing.

* * *

After the couple relaxed, they got out of the tub and went to the bedroom, finally Rachel was able to get her glasses back on and return the lovey-dovey looks that Santana has been sending her while they got ready. Santana couldn't keep her hands away from Rachel even if she tried, and just so she'd have an excuse to have her hands on Rachel's body, she took the brunette's glasses and tossed them on the bed; this way she could help Rachel get dressed. Once they got dressed and Rachel once again got her glasses back on, she grabbed her purse and cell, then she grabbed hold of Santana's body, her fingers pressing against the Latina's hip and then, they leave the hotel room.

Santana rests her arm protectively around Rachel's shoulder as they walk to the elevator, then out of the hotel. Luckily the weather isn't too cold, so the couple can enjoy some walking and fresh air. It's really nice seeing parts of the city they haven't gotten the chance before and it's much more fun doing it as a couple.

"What a beautiful place.." Santana says as she's looking around, "You want to eat or shop first?"

"Well, we didn't have breakfast, and you worked me to the bone earlier.." Rachel bit her lip before placing a soft kiss on the side of Santana's lips. "Thank you for that, by the way." She said as she looked around as well. "Let's get some breakfast."

The couple walks around some more until they find a small, homey place. The host greets them with a smile and shows them to the table. She gives them the menu and tells them a waiter will get to them in a few. "Babe, do you mind ordering for me? I want to take Dani, see how her night was and what they're doing." Santana asks and explains. She takes her phone out, blushing as she remembers Rachel's picture. She sorts through her texts and mail; nothing important, so it can all wait, all she cares about at the moment is checking on Dani and enjoy the rest of her weekend with her girlfriend.

"First, a kiss." Rachel requests as she gently pats her cheek. _'Good I feel like I'm on a honeymoon.'_ She giggles at the thought.

Santana giggle and kisses Rachel cheek, "I have such adorable girlfriend." She smile and keep her eyes on Rachel for a moment longer before going back to her phone. "We should the fact that we look like newlyweds to get free stuff." Santana laughs and texts.

"That requires a ring." Rachel also laughs as she waits for a waitress to get to their table.

"Yeah, you're right.. Oh, well." Santana shrugs and smiles at Dani's texts.

The waiter shows up. "Hi, thank you for coming by. My name is James, but you can call me waiter, everyone else does." He joked and waved his hand. "Do you two lovelies need a minute?"

"Uh, no I know what to order." Rachel smiled a bit then looked at the menu. "I want a.."

"Oh my gosh, are you Rachel Berry?" The waiter asks as he gasps while covering his mouth.

"Y-Yeah?" Rachel raised an eyebrow towards the waiter. "Why?"

The waiter bowed in respect. "I am a huge fan of you, so is my fiancé. He and I been to every one of your shows, and we were the first ones to pre-order your Broadway album.. Physical copies." He held his hands together.

Rachel smiled a bit, "Thank you." She nodded, then looked back at the menu. "Look, not to be mean but my girlfriend and I haven't eaten anything today, can I get to ordering?" Asked Rachel.

"Oh, yes. Go ahead."

"One original breakfast, and a plate of low-fat pancakes." Rachel handed the two menus over to the waiter. "Also, one water and one orange juice."

"Sure thing." The waiter smiled and then left towards the kitchen.

"I swear, I think I am a gay guy magnet." Rachel leaned back in the seat.

Santana laughs and place her phone in her purse, "Yeah, I'm starting to think you are." She says and takes Rachel's hand, "I'm happy it's just gay guys, though." She gives Rachel's hand a small squeeze and grazes it, "I have a question.. It's related to your career."

Rachel looked at Santana with a smile on her face. "What's up?" She asks.

"It's kinda stupid.." Santana shakes her head, "I have no doubt you're going back to Broadway; you meant for the stage and you can't waste your gift." She smiles at her girlfriend, "Are you sure you want to be out? I hate to think we'll have to keep us a secret or the other way, us, being together, ruin things for you.. I don't know where I'm going with it."

"Santana." Rachel slightly gripped her girlfriend's hand, placing a soft kiss on her cheek. "My work is not defined by my sexuality, it never was to start with, it never will be to finish." She explains with confidence. "If me being a lesbian was a big deal to those guys, they wouldn't hire me." She continued to speak.

"I know it's less an issue now, but I don't want you getting hurt." Santana tells Rachel, already relaxed thanks to the fact that Rachel always knows what to say. "I can't wait to see you perform again, you're totally going to kick us!" Every time Santana thinks of Rachel acting, she gets excited; she knows the woman can be a huge star. "Oh, and Dani send her love and she's alive and had no nightmares."

Rachel gives a calm smile, "That's great." She let go of Santana's hand to wrap her arm around her waist. "The part that scares me the most about this, is what if I get good reviews and I am gonna have to travel?" Rachel sighs then leaned against Santana slightly. In all honesty, this thought plays in her head constantly; she personally doesn't want to go touring because that means time away from her family.

"Can't you stay and only do the shows here?" Santana place her hand around Rachel's waist as well, "And for how long the tour is going to be? We can find a way to make it work.." She doesn't want to be far from Rachel and it won't be easy for Dani too, but Rachel has a great talent that can't go to waste.

"I'm not sure, that's what made my decision to go back, though.. Because one the bright side, I get to do what I love, give nearly a thousand people per venue the best performance they've ever seen.." Rachel frowned then looked to the floor. "But that'd require me to be away from my girls, the two people in my life that I need.." She said as she looked at Santana.

"Hon, I don't want you going anywhere and I'm sure Dani doesn't neither." Santana brushes their noses together quickly. "Either we'll find a way for you to go and still feel fine with it or you can try and find a job that won't require you to leave. You have a great record, I'm sure you'd find something in no time." She takes Rachel's hand again and smile, "You shouldn't give up on something you're so passionate about, something you dreamt of since forever. That's not the Rachel Berry I know and love." Santana winks and pulls away a bit when she sees the waiter coming their way.

The waiter places the food and drinks on the table, "Is there anything else you two need?" He smiled at the couple.

"No, we're fine." Rachel smiled back at the waiter.

"Okay, enjoy your breakfast." He walked away.

Right before Rachel could reach her plate she felt her phone vibrate, she picked it up and took a look at what was up, it was a picture of Madison Square Garden and under it said _'MSG will hear the Sound Of Music, hope you're mentally prepared Rachel.'_ the second she saw this her eyes widen. "Oh my god.. Oh my god.. I thought it was a Broadway only.. S-Santana.." She gulped.

Santana is the middle of chewing the large amount of food in her mouth when she hears Rachel. She turns her head and raises her eyebrow, "What happened?" She tries to say without spitting anything.

"It's not on Broadway.. It's at the Garden.." Rachel looks at Santana with scared eyes. "That's huge.." She quietly said as she covered her mouth. "It seats over 19 thousand.. Oh god.. What if the tickets get sold out? I don't.. Oh my god.."

Santana quickly finishes what she has in her mouth and take a big gulp from her juice. She then gives her girlfriend a tight hug, "Rachel Barbra Berry! If anyone can do it, it's you, my love." She cups her face, "Your dream is coming true and you're going to do amazing!" She says with a huge smile, feeling truly proud of her best friend and partner.

"J-Just... The thought of performing a crowd that big.. I am barely used to performing for a thousand people.." Rachel gulped, then turned her focus to her food, she grabbed the fork, dug it into the pancake then took a bite.

"Rachel, where is the high school version of you? The one that didn't think, she just knew she's a star? Bring some of that back." Santana moves her hand up and down on Rachel's back, "It doesn't matter if it's five people or fifty thousand, you love what you do and you're fucking great at it." Since they left their issues behind them and became close, Santana always wanted Rachel to fulfil her dream. Even in high school, Santana thought Rachel had a unique talent, not that she ever admitted that. Now, not only she has no problem saying Rachel is talents and her favorite actress, Santana would push the woman and do what she can to see her get to the top. "You're going to rehearse and be the best you can possibly be. People going to love you!"

Rachel slightly smiled at Santana, she could just make out with her right then and there if she really wanted to. "Okay, thank you babe.." She leaned to kiss Santana on the cheek. "I am gonna see about getting you and Dani some V.I.P seats, after all I'm gonna be the star, I should have a tiny bit of leverage."

"You better make sure we're front seat, dear. And if you don't want those gay men you attracted to yourself to be angry, you should see that they have seats next to Dani and me." Santana laughs and continues to eat. "When we're done here, we're going to find you some clothes that'll suit a rising star."

"Done where? Here? Like when we're done eating?" Rachel raised a brow while asking.

"Yeah." Santana answer with food in her mouth.

"Baby, I love you, but you're not spending a dime here." The brunette demanded with a playful tone of voice as she takes another bite of her pancakes. "I am the one who wanted to treat you, and that's what I am going to do. While we are here, everything we buy will be on my dime."

Santana frowns, "I love you too." She says with a pout, "But when we get home, I'm allowed to spoil you." Santana states.

"Yes, you are." Rachel smiles some more. "Well any time, except for your birthday or days that I want to treat you like this." She rephrases slightly.

"I can always find a way to return the favor." Santana turns her head and winks.

* * *

The couple finished their breakfast, paid the bill and Rachel kindly signed the excited waiter while Santana giggled next to her. They walked around, hand in hand, for some time until they found a boutique store that made both of them stop and stare. Soon enough, Rachel pulled Santana inside and there their eyes widened.

"So, how are we going to do this?" Santana pulls Rachel a little closer, "Are you going to just pick something or do I need to model some items for you?" She's asking playfully.

Rachel slightly licked her lips at the thought of Santana being her personal model, it wouldn't be too bad if Santana did that at home also. "Yes, babe. Be _my _model."

"All yours." Santana let go of Rachel's hand and steps towards the changing room. "See anything you like, yet? Or should I go in, get undressed, while you find something?" Santana asks with an innocent face and glace to make sure no one pays attention to them.

Rachel looked around for a few minutes, it was difficult for her to find anything that wasn't winter themed, not that it was a bad thing, but it would have been nice in Rachel's mind to see some more variety. "I see a lot of festive clothing.." She said as she saw a pair of pants that was a dark shade of green with red belt loops. "Hey, I found a pair of pants that are really dorky." Rachel brought the pants over to the changing room, letting the pants hang over the door. "Try them on."

Santana giggles and takes the pants. She puts them on and looks at her body, shaking her head, _'I'm hot, I can work with anything.'_ She thinks and walks out of the changing room. She spins around once and stands with her hand on her hip, "Well?"

"Well.. I like it." Rachel smirked some. "Turn around, I want to see all aspects of those jeans on you." She crossed her arms and bit her lower lip.

Santana does as her girlfriend asks and turns around. She leans down a bit and tilts her head to where Rachel's standing. "Do you approve?" She asks, then bites her lip.

"I think they got a red version of those pants.. It's more your color.." Rachel closely observed Santana for a few moments. "But damn.. I approve of the view."

"Glad to hear that." Santana walks over to Rachel and kiss her cheek, "I thought it'd take you some time to find something," She says and leans close to Rachel's ear, "but if you're done, maybe we can find a lingerie store.. I believe I need to buy myself some new items." She backs away, "So, are you done?"

"Santana, I want you to save your money." Rachel furrowed her eyebrows and walked closer to Santana. "How about I go to an ATM real quick after I get you the red pair, I'll give you any amount you need and you can get your new items." She suggested as she rubbed Santana's arms. "I need to go over to Barnes & Noble to window shop for a new book."

"What, I can't even buy myself something, that's really for you?" Santana pouts, "And you're not going to help me chose?" She gives Rachel sad eyes, "You'd leave me there, alone, half naked with strange women that'd want to help me adjust my new items perfectly?" She slightly raises her eyebrow, but keeping the pout and sad eyes.

_'Two can play at the pout game, Miss Lopez.'_ Rachel thought as she began to frown herself, then she looked at the floor. "I never said I would let you be alone.. And like I was saying, I want to treat you.. But if that's wrong for me to treat my girlfriend like the flawless deity she is.. Forgive me for I have sinned, I guess.." She said before sniffling once.

"No, babe.." Santana takes Rachel's arms and place them on her waist, "I'm very thankful, you're the best. I just wanted to.." She looks around again, "Do a little show, as a thank you, before you'll become famous and the paparazzi will follow you everywhere." She gives Rachel's nose a quick brush.

Rachel also looked around then bit her lip, "Maybe I should do a mini symphony in the changing room, I know how to finger a sexy Latina." She said before placing a gentle kiss on Santana's lips. "I'll join you on you, getting your new item that's secretly for me, even though I already know.. But the rules while we are here is you spend no cash of your own, this is my time to take care of you. Okay?"

Santana let out a breath, "My God.." Her eyes roll back. "Like anyone can say no to that.." Santana pecks Rachel's lips, "Never picture you as someone who'd do that in public, but I'm not going to complain." Santana smiles, "Let's get the pants and start the show."

* * *

Rachel went to grab the pants and pay for them, while Santana returned to the changing room to put her jeans back on. They walk a bit fast out of the boutique and looked for a lingerie store. When they found one, Santana walked in while Rachel went to an ATM to get some money. In the store, Santana doesn't water any time; she looks around for a sexy items she and Rachel would like. She finds a purple laced bra and panties and steps to the farthest changing room. Santana texts Rachel where she is and tells her to wait outside, then quickly takes her clothes off and put on what she picked. She peeks out and sees Rachel getting closer and smiles.

"Can I help you?" A young woman who works there asks Santana. She looks too excited in Santana's eyes.

"Actually-"

"I'm pretty sure flirting with customers can get you fired." Rachel stands behind the young woman with her arms crossed. "You're a child so I don't want to have to get the manager here.." She glares at the woman.

"I'm s-sorry, ma'am." She pretty much runs to the other side of the store looking panicked and embarrassed.

"Oh, protective, are we?" Santana's face shine. Seeing Rachel acting like that is a huge turn on.

Rachel looked at the door with a smirk on her face. "And you say you totally see me as a sub.. I didn't even try and she cowered for me." She moves closer to the door. "By the way, I found something for you to try on, but you might need my help with it."

"Do you want to stand here as I'll remind you all the times you called me mistress while on your knees or you want to get in, see what I have on and help me with what you chose?" Santana asks with a straight face and slightly arching her brow.

"Santana, I told you a million times since we got here, I am taking care of you." Rachel lowered her tone by a slight octave. "Do I need to use my mother voice?"

"Ugh, really? I chose something I'm sure you'd like.." Santana pouts.

"I want to see." Rachel bit the side of her lower lip.

"Are you sure? You've been standing on the wrong side of the door for a long time now.." Santana points out with a small smile.

"You told me to wait out here, you tease." Rachel started to giggle. "Unlock the door, pretty please?" She asked.

Santana giggles and opens the door and take a few steps back. With a smirk on her face, Santana turns around and leans forwards like she's looking for something in her bag; Rachel has a thing for her ass, she better use it.

Rachel walked in, locking the door almost instantly as she shut it. _'Goddammit.. That is perfection right there..'_ She gulped a bit as she moved slightly closer. "You weren't kidding.." Rachel shyly lets out.

"Well, I know what my girl likes." She turns to face Rachel, giving her a full view of her front.

"Damn.." Rachel's face flushed the second Santana turned around, she then gulped again as she moved closer to Santana. "Such perfection.. Just.. I love it." She said before looking into Santana's eyes. "But if I were you, I'd remove those.. I don't want you to have wash them before you got some decent usage out of them."

"I believe I already need to wash them, or maybe you should that because you're the reason they got dirty." Santana says quietly in Rachel ear. "And it was simple to put them on, but I need some help taking them off.." She turns around one more, this time close to Rachel. She moves her ass against Rachel a few times and looks over her shoulder with a cute little smile.

Rachel slowly pushed the panties down, keeping calm for a little while but remembered what she had planned on doing, and wanted to do since the clothing store. Her hand rested right above Santana's core, as she presses her fingers against that area, making Santana press against her. "I think it's time to start performing Moonlight Sonata.. What do you think?" She whispered into Santana's ear as she slides her fingers against her area.

"Hmm.." Santana moans the moment she feels Rachel's soft touch. She was already excited just by talking about it at the other store and now with Rachel's fingers against her, Santana is soaked. Her breath becomes faster as well as her heart beats. She overcomes the want to turn over and fuck Rachel; it's Rachel's time and it's so freaking hot. "I'm so ready for you, babe." She says and bites her lip.

Those were the exact words Rachel needed to hear as her middle and ring fingers push inside Santana, she started off going at a slow pace, but every few moments she'd fasten the pace by a slight amount. "We're going to have to keep quiet, remember we're at a store." She whispers into Santana's ear as her fingers go deeper inside.

Eager to feel more, Santana bucks against Rachel's fingers. She moans every time Rachel's fingers go all the way in. She places her hands on the wall and bites her lower lip to keep herself from crying out. The thrill of having sex in public combined with having it with Rachel brings her great pleasure and Santana gets more aroused. "Harder, Rach." She mumbles and caresses her inner thigh, moving up, wanting to feel more.

Rachel did exactly what Santana requested, she gently nibbled onto Santana's neck as her free hand traces the Latina's torso. The second her hand reaches Santana's chest, she pushes one part of the bra up to feel her bare breast.

"S-Shit, oh, f-fuck.." Santana moans quietly and rocks her hips faster. She spreads her legs to give her girlfriend more access. Santana straightens her body, pressing her back onto Rachel and tilts her head; she wants to feel Rachel everywhere. Santana can feel how hot her body gets with every thrust and her eyes shut closed. Her initial plan was to play with herself a bit, while Rachel's makes her feel in heaven. Now, with how close they are, Santana has a better idea; one arm goes to the hand Rachel has on her breast and the other makes her way to the girl's pants and stroking the area with rough touch.

Rachel was caught up in the moment that she forgot that changing rooms had mirrors in them, her eyes met with her reflection in the mirror, her eyes then widened as she lets go of Santana and falls back and tries to back away from the view. "No.. No.." She started to hyperventilate.

* * *

**Oh, no! What's going to happen? 4 days and you'll find out.**

**What did you think?**

**'till next time.**


	17. Chapter 17 - Part III

**Here is the last part of their weekend date :)**

**Written with Nephewsnixx.**

**Part III**

* * *

Back in the changing room, Santana's body pushed forwards and she hits the wall. For a long moment the Latina feels hazy and her breath is short. Her hips move involuntarily against the air, "Fuck.." She breathes out when she doesn't feel Rachel against her. Santana turns to Rachel and quickly steps towards her, sits down and hug her, "Rachel, everything is ok, baby." She's caressing her back, till feeling dizzy, "Take deep breathes, my love. I'm right, you're safe. It's over." Santana says with a soft voice.

"No.. No.." Rachel shook her head, continuing to try to get away from the view in the mirror, her body was shaking while trying to hide her head. "Don't.." She said in fear. "T-Take me away from this place.." Rachel begged as she kept trying to scoot away from the view of the mirror.

"We're going, babe." Santana's trying to keep calm on the outside, for Rachel, but she's scared. She pulls her scarf from the pile of clothes and hand it to Rachel, "Put in on your eyes, hon. I'll quickly dress and we're going back to our warm, safe room." Santana kiss Rachel's head and moves to puts her clothes back on.

Rachel softly whimpered as she did what Santana said, deep down she felt embarrassed for doing that, she's unsure if she can look at Santana without feeling embarrassed again.

Santana grabs their belongings and help Rachel to stand up. She takes the scarf off and pulls the girl close to her, "I'm here, Rachel. " She speaks quietly, "I'm going to pay for this and then we're walking to the hotel so you could get some rest. Ok?" She kisses her cheek, "I love you. Do you want to stay next to me or wait outside?"

Rachel looks away, "O-Okay.." She sniffled and stood up, she kept her eyes away from Santana as much as she could.

* * *

It didn't take them long to get back to the hotel, Santana made sure to get Rachel into a comfortable environment as soon as she could. Throughout that time the couple did not talk to each other much, every time Santana would apologize, Rachel would tell her to not worry about it, and that it wasn't her fault. Sadly, that didn't stop Santana from feeling sorry and apologetic, she knew about Rachel's anorexia, but not once did she ever see Rachel act this badly to her reflection, and this inspired Santana to look this issue up.

Rachel was lying in bed, hating herself for what transpired earlier. _'I am so.. She's going to leave me just like Brody did..'_ She thought in her head as she covered her face.

Santana approaches the bed and sits, but not too close to Rachel, to not make things worse. She did some research and found some information that she thinks fit how Rachel feels and her behavior. Santana went from being terrified, to nervous, to concern all the way to this point. She loves Rachel and wants to make sure she's well and safe, but with what she knows, there isn't much Santana can do on her own. With her feeling everywhere, Santana starts talking, "Hey, love. I brought you some tea."

Rachel sat up, sniffled once. "Th-Thanks.." She quietly says as she takes the cup of tea, holding it in her hands. Rachel sipped her tea, she couldn't help but feel terrible, she should have known better and she felt like she ruined their vacation. "Y-You hate me now.. Don't you?"

"Rachel Barbra Berry, I love you and my love for you only grows as time goes by." Santana looks straight in her girlfriend's eyes when she's saying those words and she'd never been this serious and genuine in her life. "I understand it's hard for you to fully trust it, but like I said, I'll keep saying how much I love you and care about you until I wouldn't be able anymore."

"I trust you.." Rachel sniffled once more. "I-I really do.. But.." She gulped as she placed her cup of tea on the night stand. "I've never been that scared before.. I, sorta, try to avoid any form of reflection.."

"Rach," Santana knows it probably won't be an easy or pleasant conversation, but she wants Rachel to get better and feel good. 'I did it with Dani, I can do it again.' She thinks and continues to talk, "I don't want you to have to go through things like that and it won't help how many times I'll say I think you're gorgeous. I want you to feel better, to have a great life.." She feels like she's doing terribly, but she'd deal with whatever Rachel throws back at her, as long as the woman she loves will get better, "We talked about it not too long ago and I think it's time for you, along with D, to go to therapy."

"But what if it doesn't help?" Rachel looks at Santana, few tears already dripping. "What if nothing saves me?" She asks with a shaky voice. "How many people on earth have the same mental issues that I have? Do.. Do you know how painful it is to wake up, and having to struggle with brushing your teeth because all you want to do is break the mirror that mocks you?" Rachel continues to ask. "I can barely take a picture of myself with the front camera without freaking out.. I was able to do that one because I had just woken up.. That's why I always take care of my hygiene as early as I can, that way I'm not aware of how much of a disgusting freak I am.."

Santana feels like someone is stabbing her during Rachel's short speech. What do you do when the person you just found out you love very much and is your best friend, suffers every single second? Santana can barely breath; she can't say or do anything that'd make it go away and she's holding her tears back because the worst thing she can do is break down. "I'm telling you what I told our daughter, we'll keep looking for ways to make you feel better, no matter how long it'd take." Santana scoots closer to Rachel and wipes the tears from her face, "I don't know what you feel or how to stop you from feeling like that, but there are people who do know, we just need to find the right one. And I don't give a shit how many people has what you have, don't think about it. Everyone got issues, the smart thing to do is take care of yourself." She places her hands on Rachel's thighs and rubs them, "And you have a large supportive system by your side. And I'm not going anywhere or will stop admiring how beautiful you are, on the inside and out, mi amor."

Rachel doesn't say anything, she doesn't feel much better but she's more happy about how supportive Santana is, and how much she really loves her. It doesn't fix everything, but it's more than a damn good start, and that's the best thing Rachel could ask for at this moment. Rachel wraps her arms around Santana's waist and leans towards her, resting her head on Santana's shoulder.

"I'm going to believe, for both of you, that it's going to get better and when we get back, we're going to find someone good that you'll feel comfortable with." Santana place her arms around Rachel's body and she's caressing her side. "Try not to think about it as long as we're in our little bubble." She kisses her forehead, "You want to take a nap? I'll cuddle you." She tries to lighten the mood.

"I'm not tired.." she mumbled against Santana, holding her a bit tighter. "And I am very comfortable with you.." Rachel looked up at Santana, sniffled and smiled slightly. "You always make my days brighter, you know that?"

Santana shakes her head and smiles, "You're one extraordinary woman, Rachel." She brushes their noses together. "And you brought pure happiness into my life in a form of love and family." Santana tap Rachel's nose, "Oh, you cute nose is red.." She chuckles.

"Crying does that to you." Rachel also chuckles before lifting her hand to bit her fingernail nervously. "Did I.. Did I ruin today?" She asks.

"Not at all." Santana says firmly, "I woke up to your kisses, we showered together, and we ate breakfast in a lovely place and did some shopping. And how can I forget your huge performance that's coming soon." Santana gently holds Rachel's hands and lower them back to her waist, "I cuddle, you cuddle." She smiles, "Oh, and I bought the items you wanted me to try, for the future." She winks and tightens her hold on her girlfriend's body. "I miss Dani, but other than that, everything is perfect."

"I miss her too.." Rachel pursed her lips then sat up. "I know this is supposed to be our time and all, but I would not mind Dani being here, at all." She says as she looks at Santana.

"We'll have family vacations in the future. We're going to have a lot to do when we go back, I just want to enjoy this time with you." Santana looks back at Rachel and blush.

"Oh, I pulled Blaine for Secret Santa.. What the hell do I get him?" Rachel asked as she reached for her tea, then takes another sip. "I've drawn blanks on ideas for his present.. Who'd you get for Secret Santa?"

"Buy him a stethoscope or some hair product." Santana says and tries to find a more comfortable way to sit. "I got Kurt and he wouldn't be able to open my gift our D." She starts giggling.

"Speaking of Kurt, he got Dani's friend Elliot." Rachel mentions as she scoots against the headrest. "He wouldn't stop complaining my ear off."

"What he has to complain about? Elliot is similar to how he was in high school; he needs to think what he wanted back then and that's it. " Santana rolls her eyes, "And stop ruining secret Santana, babe." Santana chuckles and tickles Rachel.

"Ah!" Rachel busted out laughing, leaning against Santana. "I wasn't trying to ruin it." She kept her laughter going.

"Yeah, just to cheat a little." Santana stick her tongue out. She stops the tickling and pulls Rachel as close as she can.

Rachel looked at Santana with a bright smile on her face. "You totally did that to cheer me up, didn't you?" She asked as she wrapped one arm over Santana's shoulder.

"I love you." Is all Santana says. Her fingers gently trace the skin on Rachel's back and she feels less nervous; Rachel's smile can really melt her heart.

"I love you too." Rachel kissed Santana's cheek, then leaned forward, she lies on her stomach, facing the TV. "So, what should we do..? It's about an hour before the hotel's dinner service starts, we could do something to wait." She suggests and shrugs.

"I don't care as long as we stay like.." Santana gets up and lay half of her body on Rachel's back, "That!" She laughs and kiss Rachel's cheek a few times before resting her head on her shoulder, I'm comfy."

"Oh lord, high school flashbacks." Rachel smiled some. "Remember that big sleepover at Kurt's? You laid this way on me, but your reasons then were different." She points out with a smirk on her face.

"Who says I'm not going to hit you with the pillow until.." Santana frowns, "What were we fighting about? A solo? I don't know how you remember all these things, my memory sucks.." She tugs on Rachel's lobe and enjoys being closer and playful like that.

"It had to do with me being Maria in West Side Story, you were pissed that I snagged the role from Tina, and even more pissed that it was me being Maria and not you." Rachel explained as she turned her body a bit to look at Santana. "Also, you would hit me with a pillow and risk breaking my glasses, you know one of the pairs you spent good money on, would you?" She gasped and frowned.

"Babe, you're an amazing an actress." Santana giggles. "On one hand, if I'd break them you'd be at my mercy.." Santana tickles Rachel sides a little, "But I love you with them on so.." She stops and then remembering something, "Were you into to me then? Did it make you feel hot is the south area of your body?" She lowers her tone, but keeps the playfulness.

"I was, sorta. At the time you were.. I hope, playfully smothering me with Kurt's expensive ass pillow." Rachel says as she glares at Santana. "You know, you were pretty fucking mean back then, and I still wanted you." Rachel growls under her breath. "You're lucky I loved you then, and even more so, now." She smirked.

"Yeah, I was a total bitch, someone I hope Dani will never run into in her years in high school." Santana nods, "Dani asked me once if I'd go back in change it, I told her no because it brought me to where I am now." Santana smiles and puts some pressure on Rachel's body, "And I could've hurt you if I wanted, I'm from Lima heights adjacent, you know." She comes closer to Rachel's face, "Oh, and don't play with me, Rach, I know you like it a little rough sometimes." She pecks the side of her girlfriend and smirks.

"I wish I could redo my past sometimes.." Rachel admits. "If I fully knew about my feelings for you.. I probably would have prevented my mistake, and you from getting hurt when you did.." She continues, feeling a bit bad now. "I would have treated you the way you deserved then, I mean I am glad I can now.. I just wish I would have done this sooner."

"Honey.. The idea of erasing some moments from your life or go back and open young Santana's eyes, is great.." Santana place a finger on Rachel's face and makes the woman look at her, "But we had to go through all of this so we could appreciate what we have now and be better and have Dani, your daughter whom you saved.." Santana points out with a smile, "Maybe we would've ended like Kurt and Blaine, but most couples don't survive high school and I wasn't for you back then. I'm happy to share my life with you now, this version of me."

Rachel slightly nodded, "I wouldn't be as compassionate as I am now.. Had I avoided all of the things that have happened." She points out. "I guess I just.. I want to take the pain away from your life.. Ya know?"

"The only pain I wish would vanish, but can't is the pain of losing mi papa.." Santana rests her head on Rachel's shoulder and bite her lip, "And I'd take yours. But we have each other and we're working on getting better and we do stuff with our life." Santana close her eyes and let her hands travel on Rachel's body, "My father would've loved you.." She chuckles and nuzzles Rachel's neck.

"You know.. I think had my baby survived, he or she would have loved you." Rachel mentions as she closed her eyes. "You'd be the fun Auntie 'Tana, and I would be the boring mommy who wouldn't allow my child to eat any pork." She finished the sentence with a playfully deep voice.

"You mean like how things are today?" Santana laughs.

Rachel gasped. "I'm not.. Okay, I am boring.." She admits, feeling defeated. "But like.. Something tells me that my baby would have had a big sister.."

"Yeah, being an actress and having a business is so boring.." Santana poke Rachel's side, "Don't think about the past, great things happening in the future you need to focus on."

Rachel smiled some, "Hey, lift up a bit?" She asked.

Santana places her hands on both sides of Rachel's body and lift her body. She moves and lay next to her girlfriend, putting one hand on her back.

Rachel turned her body slightly, then moved close to Santana. "You know.. I hate to meddle, but you could be a great therapist." She gently presses her forehead against Santana's. "You know how to talk, and what to say to make people feel better about themselves."

"Only with people I love, I don't know if I'll have patience with others.." It's so easy to be intimate with Rachel; they can be this close and look at each other's eyes without Santana getting stressed or uncomfortable. "When I was younger, I thought about it, but with my issues and all the other things that took over my life.. I guess I found a way to make people feel good anyway." She chuckles at the end.

A soft chuckle is heard as a response from Rachel, at this point all she wanted to do was look at Santana, and her eyes couldn't leave the Latina's if they tried. But this moment did feel like the best thing she's had in terms of intimacy, and Rachel would not want to let this go.

* * *

Throughout the night Rachel and Santana cuddled, watched TV, and talked a bit more about Rachel's gig coming up in mid-January. Rachel still felt nervous about the idea of performing for a sold out Madison Square Garden crowd, but like she normally does, Santana says some beautiful things to calm her down which was what she adored about Santana. The next morning Rachel was once again the first to wake up, she was wearing her big jersey with a pair of shorts under them, and she wanted to do something amazing for Santana before they go back home, so she tossed her shorts to the side and pulled on a pair of pants, slipped on the pair of slippers she had brought with her, then quietly stepped out of the hotel room. After half an hour of Rachel chewing out the people that worked the breakfast shift in the cafeteria, she made it back to the room with a bed tray of breakfast goodness. She walked into the bedroom, Santana was still sleeping, so Rachel decided to set the tray on one of the chairs, and then she moved to the side of the bed Santana was on, gently crawling on her.

"Wakey, wakey.." Rachel whispers as she gently kissed at Santana's neck.

Santana isn't a big fan of waking up early, but when it's her girlfriend waking her up this way, Santana likes mornings a bit more. Her hands find Rachel's body and wraps around it, pulling the woman closer, "Morning, babe.." She says with a raspy voice and eyes still closed.

Rachel couldn't help but smile at how adorable sleepy-Santana was, the raspy voice, the hate for waking up early, the whole package of how Santana is when she's sleepy was adorable. "I have a bit of an appetizer for you." She said before gently biting Santana's lower lip then sucking on it. Her hands cupped Santana's face to initiate a full kiss.

"Hmm, best way to wake up." Santana smiles against Rachel's lips and starts to kiss her slowly. She moves one hand to Rachel's neck and brings their faces closer, deepening the kiss. Santana doesn't move faster, on the contrary, the kiss is almost in slow motion; she takes her time kissing, sucking and biting on Rachel's lips before their tongues meet for a slow dance.

Rachel's body feels like it's on fire every time she and Santana kiss, it was an amazing feeling in her mind. She moves one hand to Santana's waist, giving it a gentle graze as she tilts her head slightly, a soft moan is heard from her.

The hand that Santana has on Rachel's back finds its way to Rachel's front. Santana's hand moves on the smooth skin of Rachel's stomach, up to her left breast and cups it. The Latina gives it a short massage before gently twisting Rachel's nipple. With what happened yesterday and Rachel's issue, Santana doesn't want to rush Rachel or move too fast. She loves Rachel and wants her to get better and no matter how difficult it might get, Santana can wait for her as long as Rachel need. With that in mind Santana breaks the kiss and take her hand from under Rachel's shirt and locks it with the other one around Rachel's neck. "You're very tasty, but maybe we should go grab some breakfast before we leave?" She asks with a smile, hoping she didn't hurt Rachel in any way.

Rachel blushes a bit and slowly nodded, she placed a kiss on Santana's cheek. "We do have a big day today.." She mentions then bites her lip. "I got you a nice breakfast, the whole shebang." Rachel smiles some more. "Only the best for you."

"I love you so freaking much." The understanding that this is how a healthy, normal and loving relationship supposed to look like starts to really sink in; both sides are equal on how much they love and care for the other person while still being an individual. "Thank you, Rachel." Santana's smile gets wider as she feels herself falling more in love with Rachel with every passing moment.

"I love you too." Rachel nuzzled into Santana's embrace, placing gentle kisses on Santana's shoulder. "We only have a couple hours tile we go home, so you get the total princess treatment." Rachel got up and pulled the chair with the tray in it closer to the bed, she sat at Santana's side. "What do you want first, the eggs, pancakes, sausage, or bacon?" She asks.

Santana sits up and mumbles, "I must've done something extremely good in my past life.." She looks at the chair, then back to her girlfriend, "Eggs, please." She tells Rachel and rubs her eyes, "You want to bring the tray here," Santana points at her legs, "So we both can eat and you won't have to touch the bacon and sausage?" She suggests.

Rachel shook her head. "I'm not having one bite of this, I got this for you." She grabbed the fork, cut into the eggs then pushed the fork into the portion she cut, she lifted the fork towards Santana. "Say ah." Rachel used her motherly tone of voice unintentionally.

Santana opens her mouth, leans forward a little and take the bite. She's quickly chewing and swallowing it. Her stomach starts to hurt due to her getting worried about Rachel not eating. "Yeah, that's unacceptable. I enjoy you feeding me, but you're eating breakfast, Miss Berry." She uses her mistress tone a bit; in her eyes, it's better to sound tough, than weak and worried.

"Santana, I will eat after you are fed, I promise." Rachel nods twice. "Now.. More egg?"

"No. I eat a bite, you eat a bite." She raises her eyebrow, "It's either that or I'm going to shower and we'll try again once I'm done."

"Santana, these aren't the eggs that I normally eat, the kind I eat are the vegetarian kind.." Rachel frowned and looked away from Santana. "That's why I said I would eat after you, I would have to hunt for breakfast for me."

"We have pancakes we can share." She's trying to sound playful, but feels tense. She leans to Rachel and reaches for her, then cups her face and makes the woman looks at her. "Come on, I want a romantic breakfast with my girlfriend before we leave our bubble." She pouts.

"Fine, I will have half of the pancake, that fair?" Rachel brushed her nose against Santana's, followed with a gentle peck on her lips. "But I got this for you specifically, not me."

_'It's better than nothing, I guess.'_ Santana thinks and her first task after Christmas is to get her girls the help they need. "And I want to share it with my kind, loving, beautiful girlfriend." She pecks Rachel's lips, "Now, feed me, woman." She jokes and leans back on the headboard.

"Once more, you are _so _lucky that I love you." Rachel said as she cut into the pancake, then she brought the bite to Santana. "You know, you are.. Fucking cute, like.. Cuter than a kitten."

"Oh, thank you, Rachel," Santana eats the bite, "For thinking I'm better than a cat." She glares at Rachel, then shakes her head and laughs. "Your turn. Eat that pancake like you mean it." Santana wiggles her brows and keeps laughing.

"Come on.." Rachel pursed her lips as she cut in the pancake, she took a bite then frowned a bit. "I did try romantic and you only hear that you're better than a cat, I mean.. Like.." She threw her hands up.

"I was only joking.." Santana lowers her head, "I'm getting better with opening up again and I love how we're with each other, but sometimes it just comes out. I'm sorry for ruining our breakfast.." She pushes the covers from her body and starts moving, "Maybe I should just go take a shower.."

"Baby.." Rachel weakly called out then frowned some more. "Come back, please?"

Santana stops and sighs. She turns to Rachel, holding her arm and feeling insecure.

Rachel stood up, then walked over to Santana, wrapping her arms around her girlfriend's waist. "I wasn't mad.." She frowned a bit then brushed her nose against Santana's. "I'm sorry.."

"I'm sorry too.." She puts her arms around Rachel's neck and pulls her to a tight hug. Maybe the whole thing with Rachel, on top of Dani's issues, is getting to her more than she thought. Maybe she's over thinking.. Santana doesn't know for sure. She's going to try and enjoy the rest of the time here, with Rachel, and figure it out when they'll get home.

"You have nothing to be sorry about, it was me that overreacted." Rachel gently stroked Santana's lower back, she bit her lower lip while keeping her eyes on Santana. "You.. You probably have a lot on your mind, and I should have put that into consideration."

"I should've been more sensitive, I can get carried away sometimes.." Santana really wants to hit herself right now; she needs to be the one helping her girlfriend, not the other way around. "I'm thankful for this weekend, I love being with you and I'm sorry for just getting up and walking; I asked you not to do it, then I go and do it myself." She gulps and takes a deep breath.

"Come, let's take a shower, then get back to our food." Rachel gave Santana a slight smile. Rachel wanted to make sure Santana was as happy as possible, that's what this weekend was meant to be, not something to make Santana worry purely on Rachel.

_'Stop it, Lopez. You're ruining the best weekend of your life and making her sad. Pull it together just a little longer'_ Santana nods and smiles at Rachel. "You always know how to make me feel good." Santana says, then thinks about it for a second, "And right now I don't mean it in a wanky kind of way." She chuckles and kisses Rachel's cheek.

* * *

They took their shower, together, but they didn't do anything sexual, just focused on getting themselves clean. Santana's mind was more or less in a billion places at once, on one hand, she had probably the perfect relationship that she wanted since she was a child, but on the other hand it's with someone who is more broken than she lets on. It pains Santana to know that two people she loves more than anything have lived with their own personal hell, and what hurts her the most is that what if their fears are true? What if Rachel and Dani can't be saved? Santana had always assumed that there can be more ways if one doesn't work, but not once did she ever think if none of the ways could work. It didn't take the couple long to drive back from the hotel to the house. Santana would ask Rachel about how she's doing, keeping tabs on her girlfriend when she could. When they got to the apartment building Santana told Rachel that she was going to Kurt's to grab something that she left there, which was a cover-up to talk to Kurt about something important.

"Hummel, you here?" Santana just let herself in with her key.

"Satan?" Kurt poked his head out of the hallway, he was shirtless when Santana waltzed in, not that she hasn't seen him like this or anything. But he was a little embarrassed. "Hey, let me get a shirt on, I just finished showering for the 2nd time today." He pointed out as he walked to his room.

"Why did you.. Never mind, don't need to know that.." Santana rolls her eyes and leans on the back of Kurt's couch. "Hurry up, I have a girl I can't keep missing for too long."

"I was on my way to an interview and some jerk drove into a mud puddle.. Ruined my original outfit." Kurt explains as he walks out pushing his shirt down. "So, what's up? Did you and Rachel.. You know." He swayed for a few moments but saw the serious look on Santana's face. "Honey, what's wrong?"

"I blame you! You had to bring Blaine here and move in together, forcing me to move in with her." Santana points at Kurt, "And now I love her, I love both of them! And they're broken and hurt and there is nothing I can do to fix it." Tears stars dropping from her eyes, but she still has an angry expression on her face.

"Santana, your way of envisioning that moment is different than what actually happened. Blaine and I offered you to move in with us, you said there was too much testosterone for you to be willing to handle." Kurt gave Santana a slight glare. "Also, you breaking down in front of me isn't going to help them any, I get why Rachel was broken, I've known for a long time." He explained as he walked to Santana. "I want to fix them too, San.. You have no idea how badly I want to.." He said as he pulled Santana in for a tight hug. "But right now, we have two women down the hall, that love us, that care for us, and that would want us strong for them.."

"And I am strong around them. I'm trying so hard to stay like that and what happens? I hurt her more." Santana wraps her arms around Kurt, "I c-can't handle all this pain.. W-What if they'll never get p-peace? You don't know what it's like to have your kid waking up, scared to death, in the middle of the night or your partner not able to look at themselves without hating what they see." Santana sniffles and take a deep breath, "And what if she'd stop eating and I lose her?" She looks up at Kurt, her eyes red and puffy.

"You're right.." He sighed. "I have no clue what it's like.. I don't live with it in my home, and I can't say much to truthfully help." Kurt admitted regretfully. "You won't lose Rachel though, I can almost guarantee that." He looks down at Santana, resting his forehead on his friend's. "You and I both know how stubborn she is, she wouldn't allow herself to die. She's strong, you are strong, Dani is strong, you all have each other.. Three pieces of a puzzle, that is only complete together."

"And what if.. I'd want to add a piece?" Santana asks him nervously. She always wanted to be pregnant and have more than one child, but she can't even picture talking about it with Rachel.

"Like.. You being preggers?" Kurt raised his eyebrow. "Well.. What if?"

"I don't know, maybe my girlfriend had an abortion that left her broken?" She tells him with a snarky tone. She immediately regrets it, though, "Sorry.. It's too much. Why can't we just be happy?" She snuggles into him and tries to even her breath.

"Well.. Now days they have tests, something I am sure Rachel wish she had back in the day." Kurt assures Santana as his hand grazes his friend's. "But.. Another kid in that small ass apartment.. I just don't think that'd help."

"And you suppose my person.." Santana rolls her eyes, "I don't want to get pregnant tomorrow! We aren't married, we've been dating for a very short time.. But Rachel already talked about a house and I always wanted a big family.." Santana sighs, "That's what makes it hard; I love her and it's easy to picture a future together, especially since we have Dani. But our future might not be happy and bright.. All I want for them is to be happy and fulfill their dreams." Santana puts her hands on Kurt, tightening them around her, then returns to hugging him.

"Firstly, I said nothing about sperm going in you tomorrow, secondly.. Rachel talked about taking you and Dani to a bigger place?" Kurt asked, feeling like his heart fell a bit, he cares a lot about the woman in his arms, the woman that lives down the hall, and the young woman who came into their lives. Kurt was, honestly, sorta happy with the way they lived as family. "Like.. Away from here?" He further asked.

Santana glances up and frowns, but when he finished talking Santana felt like an idiot. "Somewhere in the future. But you'll join us in the search, I'm used to having you as a neighbor too much." Santana's voice is more how it usually is around the man and she relaxes in his arms.

_'I hope..'_ Kurt thinks to himself as he holds Santana as tight as he can, gently rocking their bodies back and forth.

Santana let it all out, she broke down and now it's time to gain her strength back. She and Kurt went a long way together and now he's the person Santana can strip her walls down in front of without a need to worry. Kurt guides her when she needs it and put her in her place when needed. Being in his arms, gives Santana what she needs to keep fighting for her girls' happiness. "Thank you, Kurt." She squeezes his body and let go, "I'm sorry for barging in.. I'll let you go to your interview and go see a certain kid I've been missing like crazy."

"Yeah.." Kurt slowly nodded, then tousled Santana's hair. "Before you go, what should I get Elliot for Secret Santa?" he asked as he walked to his coat rack, grabbing the coat.

"You, people, suck at this game.." Santana chuckles and moves her hand through her hair, "He loves music and musicals, think something a teenager whose very similar to you would like." She smiles and kisses his cheek, "Bye, bye lady lips." She winks at him, opens the door and runs to hers. Santana opens the door, her eyes looking around for pink hair.

Like a speeding bullet, Dani jetted from her room to Santana, clinging onto her as quickly as she could. "Mama! I missed you!" Dani looked up at Santana with a smile on her face.

"Hey, baby." Santana cups Dani's face, kissing her all over, then hugs her tightly, "I missed you too, my love." She holds the girl and breath in her scent, feeling how a part of her calms down, "You're even more beautiful than before."

Rachel softly chuckled at Dani's action. "I told you she loves you more than me." She joked as she went to check the coffee pot.

Dani gasped and glared over at Rachel, "Not true, I love you both the same, just Santana is stronger than you so if I jump into her arms, she can support my weight.. Also she's comfortable." She gave a pout then leaned against Santana.

"Oh, stop it or I'll blush." Santana chuckles and moves one hand up and down Dani's back. "How was your weekend, D?" She asks the girl and frowns, "And where is Leo?"

"Leo wanted to give the three of us some girl time." Rachel grabbed a coffee cup, placed it under the part where the coffee pot dispenses it, and then presses a button. "Ah, sweet roasted cup of Joe."

"My weekend was boring with Leo, I mean he tried to be the fun uncle.. But I guess I am more used to Blaine." Dani points out but then feels a slight pain in her stomach. "Now I feel bad." She holds her stomach for a few moments.

"What the girls in this family have with gay guys?" Santana rolls her eyes. "Don't feel bad, it's fine not to connect with someone." She smiles at the young girl, "We won't see him for a while, I'm just happy you got to spend some time with him."

Rachel finished making her cup, then she took a sip from it, "So, Dani. What time is that audition thing?" She asks while walking back towards the kitchen table.

"Afternoon." Dani walks over to Rachel and hugs her as tight as she could. "I missed you too, mom." She smiled, placing a kiss on her cheek. "Sorry for not showing it."

Rachel calmly smiled. "Don't be, I was your age once.. A million years ago." She smiled, then took another sip from her coffee.

"You watch what you say, Rach. Implying your girlfriend is old is rude." Santana gives Rachel a warning look, the smile. "And yeah, we all love each other, big house of love here." Santana steps to the girls and hugs them, squeezing Dani a bit and laughs.

"San, should we tell Dani the big news?" Rachel asks as she looks up at Santana, giving her a shy smile and a slight blush.

"Oh.." Santana blush as well, "I guess the cat is kinda out of the bag, but yeah, go ahead."

"Dani.." Rachel stood up and smiled quite a bit. "Santana and I are officially together now.." She announced with a huge blush on her face. "Your moms' are officially girlfriends." Rachel stood by Santana, and took her hand.

Dani felt very happy on the inside, she was getting the family she had always hoped for, and also she and Kurt got what they want. "Congrats you two."

"Yeah, thanks.." Santana smiles awkwardly and scratch her head. "So, you want to do something together, ladies or I'm going to nap?" She looks between the two.

"I did wake you up kinda early.. Go ahead and nap, Dani and I will probably watch a movie to kill time." Rachel looks at Santana, gently grazing the back of her hand.

"I wanna watch a movie." Santana pouts at her girlfriend, "I miss cuddling with this one." She pulls Dani to her arms, "But, Dani, you'd have to make the popcorn and bring the soda, we're too old for that." She smirks at the young girl and then at her girlfriend.

Rachel playfully stuck her tongue out then walked to the DVD shelf, thinking of what movie to play for them.

"Uh, alright." Dani shrugged, then walked into the kitchen, grabbing the popcorn and the soda.

Santana makes the way from the kitchen to where Rachel is and kiss her cheek, "Your kid is too sweet for my teasing.." She laughs and goes to lie on the couch. "Do we have plans for tomorrow?"

Dani shrugged again. "I got nothing going on, maybe a date or two with Marley, but that's based on if it's okay with you guys' and if she's feeling good." She explains before putting the popcorn in the microwave.

"What about you, Rach?" Santana turn to her side, "I have to work, I just want to know if to go in the morning or evening.."

"I have one class tomorrow.. But that would only take an hour." Rachel explains as she puts a DVD in the TV. "I have nothing else planned, though."

"We'll have to talk about our schedules later, babe." She tells Rachel, "Now I want to cuddle. Where's the kid that claimed she missed her mama?" Santana finds Dani with her eyes, "Come on, sweetie, the movie starting."

Dani quickly pulled a few bottles of Coca-Cola from the fridge, set them on the table, then she went to get the popcorn out of the microwave. She then grabbed a bowl, open the bag, and poured the popcorn in the bowl, then tossed the bag into the trash.

"She is too adorable for her own good." Rachel points out as she sits down next to Santana. "Reminds me of you." She looks at Santana with a smile on her face.

"Funny you say that, because she reminds me of you." Santana blow a kiss to Rachel and rest her head in her girlfriend's lap, leaving enough space for Dani to lie next to her.

Dani walked in the room with the bottles of soda and the bowl of popcorn, she placed them on the table in front of the couch, then Dani walked to the couch, lying beside Santana. "What are we watching?"

"An oldie, but goodie." Rachel gently strokes Santana's head for a few moments, then her hand goes to Dani's head. "The Goonies, it's about a group of misfits trying to save the home they love."

"Ok, I have to confess, I'm here for the food, drinks and my girls." Santana chuckles and wrap one hand around Dani's body, "The dorkness level is pretty high, I might fall asleep at some point."

"C'mon San, you've only seen this movie with me a couple times. It's a cute movie." Rachel gently poked Santana's nose. "And you loved this movie last time we watched it."

Santana looks up at Rachel, "That's what you and Kurt do; we watch the same movies for years, so at some point I start liking them. But I love you too much to care." She tells her and sticks her tongue out.

"Hey, you know I have better taste in movies than Kurt does.. At least my choices have people that you'd want to get wanky with." Rachel kicks her feet up onto the coffee table and relaxes. "Do either of you think that Kurt and Blaine have the entire set of House or Grey's Anatomy?" She asks while scratching the back of her head.

"They have Grey's and are trying to obtain House." Dani answers as she reaches for the popcorn, tossing one in her mouth.

"I don't understand what's so bad with watching online.." Santana says. "D, can you put the bowl on the sofa? I don't want you to have to feed me this early in our life." Since she walked home and saw Dani, Santana mood got better. She's worried, nervous and scared, but she's with her two favorite girls watching a movie and laughing. She doesn't need much more than that.

"Uh huh.. Sure." Dani grabbed the bowl and placed it by her stomach, she was more focused on the movie than she was anything else. "Mama, was this how the 80's were like?" She asked.

Santana gasps and stares at Dani for a long moment, then she lifts her head to look at Rachel and glares at her, "See, she thinks I'm ancient! I have perfect skin, no gray hairs and I'm in my mid-twenties." She pouts and answers Dani, "I'm not too sure hon, I wasn't born yet." She then buries her face in Rachel's lap.

Dani placed the bowl on the coffee table, then she turned her body to gently nudge Santana's shoulder with her head. "Mama.." she frowned and looked up at her. "I love you."

"What? I wasn't sure I heard you right.." Santana smirks again Rachel's legs.

Dani pushed her head against Santana's shoulder once more, nuzzling into her neck gently. "I said I love you, very, very much." She said then pecked Santana's shoulder.

Rachel briefly looked towards Santana and Dani, smiling at how they were acting. _'Of course, my girls being too cute.'_ She thought to herself.

"I love you very, very much too, mi princesa." Santana smiles at Dani and kiss her cheeks.

* * *

The three women continued to watch the movie crawled up together. Sometimes, Rachel and Santana glance at each other and when they got caught, the ladies blushed and smiled. It's amazing how people with no blood connection can feel like a family. When the movie was over, Dani left to her room while Rachel watched a TV show while Santana washed the dishes. After some time had passed, the women start getting ready to leave for Elliot audition. They dressed up in warm clothes and, surprisingly, were ready on time. A short drive later, Santana parked the car and they were headed to meet the rest of the group.

Rachel took the girls into the auditorium that Elliot was going to be at, she sighed a bit due to her almost missing having to audition for her roles. The familiar atmosphere of people's anticipation, this is what made her the big star she is today. Rachel saw Marley sitting at one of the seats. "Hey Dani, there's Marley. That seat right there." She pointed, then looked at Dani with a smirk.

Once her mom mention Marley, Dani doesn't see anything, but her girlfriend and a big smile spread on her face. "See you there." Dani tells her moms and run towards her girlfriend.

Santana laughs and takes Rachel's hand. "Imagine they survive high school and college and end up being 'the one' for each other.." Santana says when she sees how bright both her Dani's and Marley's face gets when they face each other.

"You'll never hear me admit this to Dani, but I really do think of Marley as family." Rachel admits to Santana. "I mean, anyone who makes our daughter that happy just by a glance, they're alright by my book."

Marley reached towards Dani, holding onto her as tight as she could. "Oh my god I missed you!" She said happily. "Also, thanks for coming to help support Elliot." Marley brushed her nose against Dani's.

"Missed you too, Marls." Dani hugs back as tightly and pecks her girlfriend's cheek. "He's my best friend, of course I'd be here." Dani tells Marley, then lifts her head from the girl's shoulder, seeing that Marley's mom is sitting there. She steps away from her girlfriend, "Hey, Mrs. Rose." She says and blushes.

"Hello, sweetie." Millie waved and smiled.

Marley was a tad nervous, but she was able to get over her nervous feeling as she sat down in the seat next to her mom's. Marley patted the spot next to hers to signal Dani. "Hey, mom. What time do you have work today?"

Millie checked her watch. "I have the dinner shift at 5:30, why?" She asks, but before Marley could answer. "It has to be okay with Dani's parents before I can consider saying yes to her coming over."

Marley gasped, "I was totally not going to.. Alright." She slightly pouted and pushed her index fingers together.

"Hey ladies." Rachel smiled at the group. "Millie I don't recall if you met Santana yet, so this is my girlfriend, Santana." She was a bit nervous announcing Santana as her girlfriend, especially since she wasn't completely used to it just yet.

Millie happily shook Santana's hand, "Call me Millie, and Dani is wonderful to have around, Marley talks about her almost 24/7/" She jokes.

Marley gave a blushing glare towards her mother, "Mom.." She felt a little embarrassed that Millie remotely brought it up. Regardless if it's true.

Rachel walked passed Santana, she saw Dani being a little quiet. "You okay?" She asked as she sat in the seat next to her.

"Yeah, mom." She tells Rachel while taking Marley's hand in hers and caressing it. "I'm really excited for Elliot, I hope he'll to get it!."

"I know what you mean, Mille; if they're not talking with each other, they're talking about each other. She tells Mille and takes a seat next to Rachel.

"Elliot Starchild.. You're next." The director said.

Suddenly the band starts playing 'Out Tonight', which is normally sung by the character Mimi in 'RENT'.

Rachel's eyes widened as she looked between Dani, Marley and Millie. "You all said you had no clue what character he's playing, right?" She asked then looked at the stage.

Elliot belting out the first line going into the verse, his voice could almost pass for the character he's auditioning for. Throughout his performance, he was careful not to do anything naughty, even though the character that sings the song would have to, and the directors were more shocked than anything else. When that final note hit, he dished it out like it was something he could do in his sleep. Elliot stood in front of the microphone stand and smiled. "How did I do?" He asked.

Rachel's jaw dropped at the performance, in a way she was jealous of how much talent was in him. In her mind the fact that he was auditioning for an off Broadway show, is not doing his talent justice.

Santana is utterly shocked; she heard Elliot can sing, but never thought the young man got that amount of talent. She looks to her side, making sure everyone heard the same thing and can tell she's not the only one surprised by the magic that came from Dani's best friend's throat. "Wow.. That was something you don't hear every day." She tells Rachel.

A few seats next to her, Dani's trying not to jump from excitement. "The role is his, for sure! He was great!" Dani turns to Marley and smile, both her hands holding Marley's tightly.

"Elliot.." The director looked at his assistant, gulped a bit then looked back at Elliot. "When your manager said that you had magnificent pipes for a 14 year old, I didn't believe him.. It's rare that I get proven wrong, you are many kinds of amazing." He announced. "But, if your intention is to play Mimi, I can't allow you to do that, she's a female role, and a very adult role at that.. If I had you play Mark, that'd be stretching it because of the language used in this play.. I'm sorry Elliot.." He frowned while rejecting the young man.

Elliot looked down and nodded a few times. "Thank you for your time." He said before hopping off the stage, he walked up the auditorium to the group that watched him. To say he wasn't sad would be considered lying, Elliot was crushed by that rejection. "You guys liked it.. Right?" He asked with his eyebrows furrowed.

Marley was going to say something but Rachel stood up. "Elliot, you have more talent than I did at your age. That's saying a lot because.. Well you know my success." She walked over to the young man, placing a hand on his shoulder. "The director was right in his concern, but you know deep down, anyone else that auditions for Mimi, or tries to go for that song.. Will fail in comparison to you. You're going to own Broadway with a voice like that, and I would love to one day work alongside you.. Starchild." Rachel winked at Elliot.

"Rachel is right, Elliot. Hearing you made me shiver." Santana stands next to Rachel. "You should be very proud of yourself for trying and only be rejected because of your age. In a few years, you'd be able to do this type of performances and become a star, but for now maybe you should go for something that fits your age. Don't stop trying, the world can't miss your talent." She smiles and place one arm around Rachel's waist.

Dani tears up a bit from everything that's going on around her and finds it hard to speak. She let go of Marley's hand and gets up to hug her best friend. "You kicked ass, Elli." She mumbles and kisses his cheek.

Elliot wrapped an arm around Dani's shoulder, "Thanks, kid." he smiled a bit, mostly due to the compliments that he received from his, what he considered, family. "You all are good people." He nodded, then looked over at Millie. "Mom? Did you like the performance?"

Millie got up and smiled, "You know I did." She nodded.

Marley got up as well, moving past everyone to hug her little brother and her girlfriend at the same time. "See Elli? I told you, you're amazing." She kissed his cheek, then looked over at the adults. "Say, can we get some smoothies?"

Rachel looked at Santana, shrugged lightly, "I can treat us to some Jamba Juice if you all want.. Would you want some as well, San?" She asked her girlfriend then looked back at the kids.

"We're all going, but it's my treat." She gives Rachel a look and a small nudge. Santana, then, looks at Mille, "We can, maybe, have dinner together? It's Asian night." She suggests and glances at Rachel for approval.

Dani backs away from Elliot and takes Marley's hand back in hers. The pink haired girl looks at the adults with hope in her eyes; she wants to spend more time with her girlfriend and best friend.

Marley slightly frowned, "Mom has work tonight, and she usually is gone 'til after midnight." She points out.

"I could walk us home, never was a problem before." Elliot points out then messes with Marley's hair.

Rachel looked at Santana for a few moments once again, "Well.." She bit her lower lip and smiled some. "Millie, would it be okay if Santana and I kept the kids tonight?"

Millie shrugged, "If you want to, I wouldn't mind picking them up during my break." She said but then she looked at Marley's face lighting up at Rachel's suggestion. "Well.. I will pay you back any amount of money you spend on them, if you want to let them stay over."

"What do you say, San?" Rachel looks at Santana. "It is a few days before Christmas, and they know to be good or else the wrath of Snix will curse them." She said.

Santana giggles and looks at the kids, "No problem." She turns to look at Mille, "And we shouldn't start paying one another; I believe we're going to be hosting for each of the kids for a very long time, so it's really not necessary." She tells her with a smile, then turns back to Rachel, "We have some of Marley's clothe, but what are we gonna do with this dude?" She jokes and points at Elliot, "The disadvantage of living in a house full of girls.." She chuckles.

Dani blushed at her moms' words and hugs Marley, looking for a hiding place of some sort or at least to share the awkwardness. "We'll be good, moms." She mumbles.

"No doubt, because the siblings are going to sleep on a mattress in the living room." She says too nicely and smiles at the young couple, making sure they got her point. And she can't deny she's enjoying it a bit.

"We got a Kurt down the hall, and.." Rachel leans to whisper in Santana's ear. "It could help Kurt with his Secret Santa thing.. Which I will remind you was his idea."

Elliot scratched the back of his head, "Well.. I dunno."

"C'mon, Elli! We can watch movies and eat ice cream and gossip.." Dani takes his hand and squeeze it, then adding her puppy dog eyes, "I know you love these things! Please!"

Santana shakes her head at the kids' behavior, the focus on her girlfriend, "I can stay with them in the morning, then when you get back, I can drive them home and go to the club." Having a place full of kids makes Santana feels very good inside; it only makes her will to have more kids stronger. That thought makes her, subconsciously, give Rachel a deep, full of love and meaning, look.

"I have to get ready for work, you kids behave." Millie pointed at Elliot and Marley, then placed a kiss on both their heads. "Rachel, Santana.. Thank you." She nodded then started to make her way out of the auditorium.

Rachel smiled at how motherly Millie is, and how much she wants to be like Millie in terms of being a mom. She looked at the young's and raised a brow. "So who's ready for an awesome night, filled with some brain freeze that you'll get from your smoothies and ice cream?" She asked.

Marley and Elliot looked at each other then back at Rachel. "Hell, yeah!" Elliot let out, then quickly covered his mouth. "Sorry.." He slightly frowned.

Rachel rolled her eyes, "I'll let that one slide because you have some wicked magic that I don't know about." Rachel said as she walked behind the kids and gently pushed them towards the door, they start walking past Santana.

* * *

**Thoughs? **

**'till next time.**


	18. Chapter 18

**Hello :)**

**Thank you, guys, for reading and supporting the story!**

**Written with Nephewsnixx.**

* * *

The days went by rather quickly for the three. Dani experienced a real Winter break; she and Marley had some dates and sleepovers, she and Elliot did some guitar sessions together, at first she wasn't sure it was a good idea, but Elliot and Marley convinced her and it turned out to be fun and Dani realized how much she missed it and love playing. To add to the fun Dani had with her girlfriend and best friend, she also enjoyed time with her moms; most mornings were spent with Santana and the older woman, even though had hard time to be awake early, made sure they'd be active. Santana taught Dani to cook some things, they went to see movies and shopping for music stuff and clothes. The three of them went ice skating and bowling and when Dani wasn't at Marley's, they ate dinner while watching a movie one of them picked. But those days weren't only fun, not at all. Rachel had to work at the studio a little more than the usual since it got pretty popular. On top of that, the young woman had rehearsals for her play that was getting more buzz. Rachel got to experience what it's like to be a full time working mom. Santana did the best she could to help; she stayed with Dani and worked from home and at night as much as she could. No matter how stressful it got and the small arguments Rachel and Santana had from time to time, the couple always went to bed together and cuddled throughout the night.

Christmas morning finally arrived and according to Rachel's plans, the whole group had to wake up early and go to the studio. Rachel did wake up and already drink her coffee, but her girls were still in dreamland. She waited a little longer, but then she had to go and wake them up.

Rachel made her way to Dani's room, already prepped to go, she sat beside Dani, then lightly shook her. "Dani, its Christmas and you need to wake up so we can meet up with the rest of the gang." she calmly explained.

Dani groaned, "Five more minutes mom.." She mumbled against her pillow.

Rachel let out a sigh. "I guess I will have to tell Marley and Elliot not to come over." She got up and walked out of the room.

After hearing that Dani got up, groggy as all hell, she stumbled over to Rachel and Santana's room. Dani opened the door, walked over to the side of the bed Santana was on. "Mama, wake up.." she rubbed her eyes as she lightly shook her mom. "Mama.." She let out, but she was too tired to try and get Santana to wake up, so she crawled beside Santana and nuzzled against her shoulder.

Santana didn't hear Dani, she only feels someone next to her and by the shampoo smell, and Santana knows its Dani. Instinctively, her body turns to the girl and Santana wraps her arms around her. She's warm, comfortable and cuddled with the girl she considers her own; a perfect combination for Santana to get a great sleep or in this case, continue one.

"Where the he.." Rachel was wondering what Dani was up to when she saw her cuddled up with Santana. "Aww.." She smiled at how adorable her girls are, especially when they cuddle up against each other. She walked over to the bed, placed a gentle kiss on both of their cheeks. "It's time for you two cuties to wake up.. We need to be at the studio in an hour."

"It's two to one for family cuddle time." Santana mumbles and tries to pull Rachel to bed with them. "Just for a few minutes, babe." Her eyes slowly open and tries to locate her girlfriend, as well.

"Fine." Rachel simply states as she crawls into bed with them. "I want a kiss, a good morning one." She demands in a calm tone, one hand presses against Santana's waist.

"D, give your mom a good morning kiss." Santana says and giggles, but when Dani let out a small, cute snore, the Latina figures the girl fall asleep faster than her. "I wish I could, babe. But you see, I'm holding your kid and she has a pretty tight hold on me. So unfortunately, I can't kiss."

"Mama.. Give mother a kiss.." Dani mumbled as she turned her body away, keeping her eyes shut.

Rachel bit down on her lip, doing what she could to not giggle at how adorable Dani is. "You heard our daughter." She whispered playfully.

"That ball of cuteness?" Santana smiles and does her best to keep quiet. She turns to Rachel a little and brush their noses together, "Good morning." She pecks Rachel's lips a few times.

Rachel kept her lips against Santana's for a few seconds longer, and then stopped the kiss while smiling at Santana, "Merry Christmas, love.."

"Merry Christmas, mi amor." She tells Rachel and pulls both girls closer to her. "Do we really have to get up and go see people we see almost every day, when we can stay here like that?" Santana says and gives Rachel a small pout.

"Santana, we cuddle like this every day.. Plus, it's only going to be until 3, and then me, you and Dani can cuddle all we want." Rachel says while gently running her fingers against Santana's stomach.

"What can I do? I'm addicted to you." Santana sits up, one of her hands still on around Rachel's body and the other start brushing Dani's hair, "Hey, sweetie, let's get up so we'd have time to grab something before we'd go get some gifts." She says quietly to the young girl.

"Your bed is so comfy though.." Dani sleepily protested, then turned her body towards Rachel and Santana. "Is there coffee?" She asked while rubbing her eyes.

"I'll go make you a cup if you get ready." Rachel sat up with a shy smile on her face.

Dani got up, she was slightly more awake than before, but still rather groggy. She left the room to get ready for the big day they had for them.

* * *

Santana and Dani got ready rather quickly once they washed their faces and drank their coffee. They ate a small breakfast, basically toasts with chocolate and not too long after getting dressed, the girls were ready. They checked on Kurt and Blaine before driving and the couple said they'd be there shortly after them. The three girls went to the car and like a few rides before, Dani called shotgun and sat in the front seat, while Rachel was in the back; not that the woman cared, actually it was kind of funny to her. They drove to Rachel's studio and when they parked, the three of them carried the gifts to the studio, opened it and got it.

"Babe, can you turn on the heat before I freeze to death?" Santana asks as she's walking inside, "And where do you want the gifts?"

"Over by that fake tree." Rachel pointed towards a corner of the room; she went over to the heater dial, turned it to 70 degrees. "Dani, over by the mirrors there is a string to pull, please do so." Rachel asks before quickly walking into her office.

Dani shrugged and did what Rachel asked, when she pulled it down there was a lengthy white sheet that came down. "Holy.. What's the point in this exactly?" She asked.

Santana organizes their gifts where Rachel told her, then turns to see what Dani's talking about. "Rach?" She calls out, not sure what her girlfriend has planned.

Rachel struggles a bit, but when she's out of her office, she is pulling a cart that has a projector on it. "This place had a projector and I thought, instead of watching that marathon on a small TV, we could lie around and watch it on a big screen." she places it towards an end of the studio, plugging everything where it goes. Rachel then turned on the projector and focused it to where the picture came in clearly on the screen. "Ta da."

Dani's eyes widened "Oh my god, that's awesome." She walked towards the sheet, and then looked at her body "The movie is projecting off of me, partially." She smiles a bit.

Rachel walked to Santana, wrapping an arm around her waist. "I love how she's so excited over that." She smiles at her daughter.

Santana place one arm around Rachel's shoulder and the other on the hand Rachel has on her. She watches how happy Dani look and smiles, "She still struggles, but the darkness has less control over her life and she has family and friends." She gently grazes Rachel's hand, "You gave the gift of life after all, mi amor." Santana whispers to Rachel and kiss her temple.

Rachel couldn't be more proud of this moment if she tried, it was everything she wanted. She has an adorable daughter in Dani, a flawlessly beautiful girlfriend in Santana. What more could she ask for? "We.. Gave her the gift of life, mi amor." She said while blushing.

Santana tightens her hold on Rachel and kiss her cheek. She needs to keep them happy and she will.

"Merry Christmas to the beautiful ladies and Santana!" Blaine says while he and Kurt walk through the door. "Don't you roll your eyes on me, Satan, you know I was kidding." He let go of his husband hand and gives Dani a big hug.

"Hey Merry Christmas, my beauties." Kurt said as he walked over to the tree, placing the gifts he got under them. "How are you three enjoying this amazing morning?"

Rachel smirked a bit, "The three of us are fine, Santana and Dani decided to cuddle longer, that's why we sorta just got here." She explains as she sees Blaine and Dani's interactions. "Hey, Blaine! C'mere."

Blaine ruffles Dani's hair a little before he makes his way to his friend. "Great idea coming here, Rachel." He hugs Rachel and kisses her cheek, "I just wish I could sleep more."

"Aw, poor thing." Rachel shook her head, keeping her smile. "There was something I was going to ask you.." She pursed her lips as she scratched the back of her head, "Damn, I forgot.."

Kurt smiled some at how much of a dork his best friend is, his eyes traveled towards Santana. "Satan." He stood up and walked to Santana, handing her a small box. "I got you a little something; you can open it now or wait, up to you."

"You know me, I can't wait." Santana takes the box from Kurt and opens it. Inside, she finds a bracelet with the word 'Hope' engraved on it. Santana takes the bracelet out and looks at it from every angle, "You outdid yourself, Hummel. It's beautiful." She looks him in the eyes, "Thank you."

"You know me, I also love the spotlight." Kurt joked, and then looked around the room. "So Rachel, you finally got that projector to work. How much was it to fix?" He asks.

"Well, actually, it's a new one, the company that made the old one went out of business." Rachel scratched her arm. "I know it's not needed, but it's good to help simulate the set of the various plays.. And in the long run it's cheaper than getting a bunch of stuff to make the set."

While Kurt and her mom talks, Dani steps closer to Santana and nudge her arm, "Mama, I love you all, but why isn't Marley here yet?" She slightly pouts.

Santana wraps her arm around the girl, "They should be here any moment." She taps Dani's nose, "Text her, ask her where she is." Santana suggests with a smile.

"Mom asked me to leave my phone home.." She tells Santana and rests her head on her shoulder.

"She'd be here very soon, D." Santana's hand moves up and down the girl's back, "It's good to miss each other a little."

"Hey, Merry Christmas!" Elliot said as he walked through the door, with a few gifts in his hand, but the first thing he noticed was 'A Christmas Story' playing on the white screen. "Oh! I love this movie." He said as he ran to the middle of the room, sat down and watched in amazement.

Marley had the remaining gifts in her arms; she carefully stepped towards the tree. "You know, you could have helped unload the last of the gifts." She glared at Elliot before setting the gifts down. "Rachel, Santana." She nodded towards them. "Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas, dear." Santana smiles and can feel Dani tensed against her. When she looks down, Santana can see the young girl blushing and with a shy smile on her lips. "Honey, why don't you go say hello to your girlfriend? I have things to take care of." She figured farther embarrassment wouldn't help, so just let Dani go and walks to Rachel.

Dani walks to Marley and stand in front of her, "Mary Christmas, Marls." She tells her girlfriend and wraps her arms around her waist, "I missed you." She says so just Marley could hear.

Marley placed a gentle kiss on Dani's lips, keeping them there a few moments longer. "I missed you too." She whispered with a smile on her face.

Rachel and Kurt went to the office; they were making coffee and hot chocolate. "Kurt make sure you put the whipped cream and chocolate syrup on the coffee and just whipped cream on the cocoa." She said then looked up to see Santana. "Hey babe." She smiled quite noticeably.

Kurt looked between the two, and then chuckled softly. "I'm gonna go give everyone their drinks." He said while carefully carrying the three cocoas for the kids.

"Who cheesy or disturbing will it be if I'd tell you that watching Dani and Marley reunite made me miss you?" Santana puts her hands on Rachel's waist and actually waits for an answer.

"Disturbing? Not at all, cheesy.. Very but that's all good." Rachel rested her hands on Santana's arms, and then nuzzles Santana's nose gently. "I missed you too."

"I know things were crazy lately, I'm just glad we're alright." Santana takes Rachel's lips in hers, but doesn't deepen the kiss. "I'm proud of you for doing everything and succeeding and I'm sorry for our little fights. Though I feel like we're actually acting like adult parents; we don't involve Dani in any way." She tight her hold on Rachel, "And we always make up before bed and I get to wrap my arms around you every night, because you know it's hard for me to sleep alone. Unless it's Dani; as long as she's safe, I'm ok."

"In all fairness, I could have been home more." Rachel bites her lower lip nervously. "Things get stressful around the holidays, and I wish I was more involved with your life than I was.." She looked down and walked to her chair, then sat down then covered her face. "I.. I have some bad news.."

Santana's hear start racing as she makes her way to Rachel and crouch next to her, "What's wrong, Rach?"

"The bank is foreclosing on the studio.." She ran her hands through her hair, gently gripping towards the end. "Apparently I didn't actually own this building yet, the guy who originally owned it that sold it to me didn't pay his taxes on the place and had to take a few mortgages on this place.." Rachel looks up at Santana, feeling embarrassed for what she has done. "They are giving me 'til the day after New Years to get any personal items out and mail them the keys.."

"What?! That's bullshit!" Santana says loudly and the vein in her neck is showing, "Are they blind? Can't they see what you've done here and give you time with it.. Fuck!" She gets up and start pacing, try to think about a solution, "I'm sorry, Rach, I know how much you invested here." Santana stops and looks at her girlfriend, "Do you still want a studio?"

"They know, that's why they were willing to give me so long to get anything I paid for out." Rachel shook her head slowly. "They want over 20 thousand.." She explains. "With the bills here, and home, I barely had enough to pay for the gifts I got for everyone this year." Rachel's lips quivered, her eyes started to water. "I don't.. I thought everything was going to work out.. And over here it sucks.." Her voice was a higher octave due to her about to cry.

Santana crouches again beside Rachel and cups her face, "Baby, life isn't perfect, who knows that more than us, huh?" She wipes her tears and pecks her lips, "You have a healthy daughter that's love you, you got a great part in what can become a huge hit and you did do great here, my love." She presses their foreheads together, "We're a couple, if you have a problem you come talk to me and I'll do everything I possibly can to help you." Santana says and pecks Rachel's lips again, "The girls in the club adores you! Thanks to you I came up with new lines for the club. If you want a studio, we're going to make it work."

"H-How?" Rachel weakly asks, she keeps her face close to Santana's. "I don't.. I don't want you to have to help me on this."

"You made us family and I'm the kind of person who does everything for her family." Santana is physically hurt by how sad Rachel is, and it kills her to watch something else taking away from this incredible woman. "I'll say yes to my boss and take over another club, which means much more money plus the car permanently. I know people and I'm sure I can find you a place and in return, so you won't feel like you owe me, you'd give the girls a discount" Santana smiles and grazes Rachel's face with her thumbs, "Say yes, Rach. Let me make you happy."

"Would it be in a better area..?" Rachel wraps her arms around the Latina's waist. "Either closer to Dani's school or closer to home?" She asks, giving Santana hope-filled eyes.

"It'll be wherever you want, my love." Santana swore she'd take care of her girls and she's not going to break it. The three of them experienced lost and hurt, Now Santana is going to do her best to keep them happy and well and she'd give Rachel the studio she wants. "I'll have to take care of some stuff, but it's your studio, you'd be involved in everything.

"Thank you.." Rachel slightly smiles at her girlfriend; she gently pecks Santana's lips a few times. "I love you so freaking much, and I am going to do what I can to repay you." She smiles a bit more. "I know you said I don't have to, but I want to."

"I love you too, and please, Rach, come talk to me, I'm always here for you." Santana smiles and stand up. "Come on, let's get back there before they'll start we're doing something inappropriate." Santana chuckles and reach her hand.

"Yeah." Rachel got up and held Santana's hand; she then took them out of the office and into the studio area. "So, now that we have had our beverages, presents anyone?"

Dani lifts her head from Marley's shoulder and looks happily at her moms, "Yes, please!"

"So what are you waiting for? Go get it, guys." Santana smiles at the excitement, for her that's how Christmas should look like. She walks to a chair, sits and watch the kids.

The group gathered around the tree, Rachel sorted out the gifts for Dani, the gifts for Marley, and the gifts for Elliot, making sure the ones labeled 'Secret Santa' were at the top of the stack.

"Okay.. Dani, you're the littlest of the three of you, you get to open the first gift." Rachel announces.

Dani nods and grabs the first gift, the one from her secret Santa. It's a long box wrapped in pink wrapping paper. Dani rips the paper and see a jewelry box, she glances at her girlfriend and back to the box, open it carefully. She gasps when she sees a golden heart locket and looks back at Marley, now her face and ears are red and her heart is racing. "I.. Marls.." It's hard for her to speak what she wants to say with everyone present and looking at her, "Wow, thank you. I love you." Her body gets warm and her hands are sweaty. She's nervous to look at her moms, but looking in Marley's eyes takes some of it away.

Santana watch the scene unfold in front of her and can't stop smiling. Until she hears Dani tells Marley those three words; Santana isn't sure what she's feeling or how she's supposed to feel. Marley is a great girl and she makes Dani happy, but they're 14 and 15 and saying that. She knows how this thing can end, how painful it is and she's worried they're taking it too fast. But she's not going to say a word; Dani's happiness means everything to her. What Santana does do is look over at Rachel, see how she's feeling about it.

_'Love?'_ Rachel mouths towards Santana's direction, unsure how to feel about it. But she didn't want to ruin the kids' Christmas, so she lets this slide for now. "That's um.. That's a very pretty locket." Rachel compliments then turns her attention to Marley _'You better not hurt my daughter now, after hearing her utter those words I'm gonna be keeping an eye on you._' she smiles at Marley. Rachel looked at Elliot, who was eagerly awaiting his gift. "Elliot, you're next."

Elliot reached out towards the first box that's on top of the pile of gifts; he gently shook it to hear if anything was rattling inside. He then opened the box to see a fancy looking mahogany scarf. "Oh my gods.. This is so rad!" He exclaimed, then put the scarf on, he then looked at Marley. "Hey Marls, how do I look?"

"Like a dork." Marley states, and then laughs some.

Kurt was slightly offended by hearing Marley say that, he then coughed loud. "Elliot, I was unsure what to get you for Secret Santa, that's when the scarf came in the mail from vogue, I figured you could use some good looking winter accessories." He smiled at the young man.

"Thank you." Elliot nodded.

"Okay, Marley.. You don't have a Secret Santa gift.. Crap we should have had one more person in on this." Rachel frowned a bit.

Marley waved her hand. "I didn't even put my name in the hat; I already have the best gift I could possibly want." She blushed nervously, and then looked at Dani, her hand held on to her girlfriend's. "All of you guys.." she admits as she looks back up at the group. "For the longest time I thought it was just going to be me, my mom, and Elliot.. Then you all came along, and with that arrival, came the best person in my life.. Dani." She continues to admit. "I love her, like I know it's kinda fast.. But when you wake up, and all you think about is that one person.. Isn't that what love is?" She asks.

_'Young girl, you're making it impossible for on me to not like you..'_ Santana sighs. Her eyes find Rachel's and her heart skips a beat. It happened pretty fast for her too; they were best friend, she never knew Rachel liked her, then they started something and now she can't imagine going a day without Rachel. Dani deserves all the love she can get, but Santana is going to be there to make sure her girl won't get her heart broken. _'I love you.'_ Santana can't help but mouth to her girlfriend.

Next to the tree, Dani smiles brightly at Marley and can't believe that's her life, she's really in this moment now. "I have something for you, Marls.." At first, she wanted to wait for them to be alone, but she can't. She hands her girlfriend her present and starts playing with the hem of her shirt, "It's nothing much, I hope you'd like it." She mumbles.

Marley unwraps the gift and gasps followed with a blush. "O-Oh my god.. D-Dani this is amazing.." Her eyes were wide at the sight of this drawing of their first kiss. Marley looked at Dani with her eyes almost watery. "Thank you.." She said as her arms wrapped around Dani.

Rachel almost felt Santana mouthing those words, she turns to Santana and places a gentle kiss on her lips, as her way of saying she loves her back.

Santana briefly closes her eyes and when she opens them again, she sees Rachel and give her a goofy smile. It's great, how much love there is in the air, but she has to stop it before it turns to a bad romance movie. "Ok, you're cute, honest to God, but I think we should move on." Santana chuckles and turns to Rachel, "So who's next, Jewish girl who runs this thing?" Santana keeps laughing.

"Uh.. Yeah.." Rachel gulped and blushed a lot, she turns to the rest of the group and looks up for a few seconds. "Blaine, you're up.." She says.

Blaine shrugged and walked to the tree, he picked up his gift and carefully unwrapped it to see a mug that says 'World's Greatest Doctor.' on it. "Aw, Rachel you shouldn't have." He smiled over at Rachel.

"Do you want me to take it back?" Rachel joked and had a shy grin on her face.

"Hell no, this is mine now." Blaine was quick to answer which made Rachel, Kurt and Dani giggle.

Rachel took a couple quick breaths, then turned to Kurt. "Your turn, Bette." She winked.

Kurt opened his gift and his eyes widened at the selection of books that were in this box. "H-How did you know I wanted this series?" he asked with a smile on his face. "Whoever did this, is freaking awesome."

"You were supposed to get something more.. Let's say useful," Santana winks at her best friend, "But you earned a thoughtful one. Though I think my idea wasn't bad.." She glances at Rachel. "Never mind, you're my best friend and I know you. You are welcome."

Dani glance to her Marley and Elliot, see if they got what she thinks Santana meant and tried not to laugh. She quickly looks at Kurt and her mom for their reaction. She loves when Santana teases everyone, but she might get into some trouble with her mom.. Which only makes it more hilarious.

"Santana, you're up next." Rachel said as she sat down and observed everyone else.

Santana got up, took her gift and sat back on the chair. She unwraps her present and see what only can be an art by her gifted girl; it's a painting of her and Rachel, holding one another close in the rain. She can't control it and tears fill her eyes as she looks up at Dani, "It's so beautiful, Dani. I'm pretty much lost for words.." She gets up and steps towards the girl. Dani raises to her feet as well and receives a tight hug from her mama. "Thank you, sweetie. You're so talented." She says and kisses the girl's cheek.

Dani keeps in blushing and she's having a bit of a hard time looking straight into Santana's eyes. "Thank you, mama. I'm glad you like it." And this is an understatement, because Dani is freaking happy at this. She hugs Santana and goes back to Marley.

Santana walks to Rachel with a huge smile, "Look at what your daughter, the next big thing in the art world, did." She tells Rachel and shows her the painting.

Rachel gasped at the painting. "That's.. That is something words can't explain." She's at a loss for words. Rachel loved the painting, so much. "Dani, you are very talented, and that's me understating your ability. What inspires you?" She asks.

"Thanks mom.." Dani starts to play with her fingers; she's not so used to talk about these things, only recently she started to play again and in front of people, a huge step for her. "You relationship. You've had some hard shi.." Dani quickly clears her throat and glances at Santana who has her eyebrow raised. "I mean, you had to deal with a lot and it wasn't easy for you. The rain is the struggles you had, have and will have. And you're holding each other, loving and don't let go no matter what. It's beautiful. It considers naive or whatevs, but in your case, it's true; love wins." Dani gives a little shrug; for her it so clear and simple.

"You can officially declare me dead." Santana says when Dani finished talking, "I love you so much, Dani and you're so special."

It feels really good for Dani to be appreciated; she was never praised or loved, and what this family gives her is something she never knew was real and possible. "I love you too mama. I love both of you." She smiles at her moms and takes Marley's hand. She hopes love would save her too from her hell.

"I love you too Dani, momma and I both love you." Rachel smiled some more and moved some hair behind her ear.

Elliot was caught up in the moment that for a second he forgot that he got Rachel something for Secret Santa. "R-Rachel." he got up and walked to the tree, picked up a slim gift, then walked to Rachel and handed her the gift. "Merry Christmas." He smiled.

"Elliot, are you my Secret Santa?" She chuckled as she unwrapped the gift to see an autographed Barbara Streisand CD. Rachel's eyes widened quite a bit. "E-Elliot? How did you?" She looked at the young man.

Elliot shrugged as if it wasn't a big deal. "I bumped into her at the music store where I got Dani her guitar, and to my surprise, she heard about me through my agent, so I asked if she'd wait at the store while I get one of my Barbara CD's, and surprisingly she did. I got back, she signed the CD and recommended me to a new audition playing as one of the soldiers in Le Mis."

Santana was a bit in shock by Elliot's present and the story behind it. One thing is sure, she's very impressed by this boy in more than one area. She sees Rachel's expression and her cheeks start to hurt with how much she's smiling today. "You did so good, Elliot. I'm not sure I'd be able to compete." She says and giggles.

Dani nudges her friend's side, "That's so cool!" She tells him with a smile.

Kurt raised a brow, "You act as if this is no big deal, you meet legendary status Broadway stars regularly?" He asks.

"Sorta." Elliot slightly smiled. "The restaurant that my mom and I work at is a very high class place, I see a lot of celebs come and go from there." He explains all nonchalant. "Last Tuesday I saw Emma Stone order some weird noodle thing.. I was going to ask for an autograph from her, but I got called at a different table.

* * *

The group stayed at the studio for a couple of hours longer; they opened the rest of their gifts, except the ones Rachel and Santana bought for one another because they wanted to do it in private, they watched a movie and just enjoyed being together. After they cleaned up, Kurt and Blaine drove home and Santana took Marley and Elliot back to their place and drove herself, Dani and Rachel home.

Santana locked the door behind her and turns to the girls, "Ok, we'll change into PJs and meet back here?" She suggests as she takes her coat off.

Dani nods, then runs to her room, closing the door almost instantly.

Rachel gave a light shrug, "San, I actually want to give you your gift.. Bedroom, please?" She asks as she walks past Santana. Rachel was biting her lip some, she made it to the room, then quickly rid herself of her clothes except for a special set of underwear. She was sporting a lacy green bra and a pair of red panties that adds a little emphasis to her ass.

On her way to the bedroom, Santana thinks of bringing blankets to the living room and order food, suddenly her mind starts making notes of what she has to do when she gets back to work. Then she gets inside the room and her mind goes blank. Santana opens and closes her mouth a few times while walking further into the room and placing her coat on a chair. "Oh, wow.." She slightly bites her lip. They made love a few times since their time in the hotel and it was always amazing and intense, though Santana couldn't let go of her worries for Rachel. "I have the most gorgeous girlfriend in the world."

"Do you like it? I actually swallowed my pride.." Rachel gulped a bit. "I saw how I looked in this.. In the mirror at the store.. In the changing room." She confesses, feeling a bit scared from that specific moment. "I figured this would be a good.. Ribbon, so to speak on what your gift actually is."

"I'm proud of you, Rach, I know it wasn't easy." Santana stands in from of Rachel and gives her cheek a small kiss. "You need to tell me what it is before my mind start coming up with its own ideas."

"Well.. Part one of your gift.." Rachel sits down on the edge of the bed, and she holds Santana's hand. "I got some paperwork.. And it's totally optional, but a couple days ago I was hanging out with Dani on my lunch break, she said she wanted to change her last name.. To one of ours.." She explains calmly. "So I have the paperwork to legally change her last name.. If.. What I am asking is would you like our daughter to have your last name?" Rachel asks. "You don't have to say yes, but I know.. God.. I am sorta.. I just.." She was starting to stammer a bit, and her mind started to worry quite a bit as she tries to explain what she wanted to explain.

Santana starts to blink and just stares at Rachel with her mouth open. She can't understand why after all they've been through and what she has for Rachel, something in her is still scared. What Rachel suggesting is huge, 'Is it, really? Dani is ours and so what if things are going differently for us than anyone? It's working, we're happy and we love each other.' Santana thinks and then she remembers that a very nervous Rachel is sitting in front of her. "Rach, calm down." She says and sits next to her, "Are you sure about it? Don't you want her to take your name?" With everything she feels inside, that's the only thing that actually concerns Santana.

"I do.. But at the same time, I'm legally her mom, so.." Rachel looked down. Her anxiety was nearly taking over, mainly due to the fact that she felt like she embarrassed herself once more. But she calmed herself down enough to continue talking. "She will always be my baby.. But if it wasn't for you, I wouldn't have shaped up when I did. You have on many occasions called her yours as well, and.. She is our kid, together or not.. I just want her to have a part of you.. You know?"

"Honey, look at me." Santana cups her Rachel's face, "It's ok, you can say anything to me and feel however you're feeling right now." She let go of her face and takes her hands again, "This is a very unique situation and I've been through so much with Dani in such a short time. I can't tell you how happy I am that you're calling her ours, because that's how I feel." She blushes a bit, "If it's alright by you, I'd be honored."

Rachel smiled a bit, then nodded, she brushed her nose against Santana's for a few moments. "The paperwork is on your nightstand.. Along with part two of your gift." She felt a huge weight being lifted, she knew it wasn't that long that Dani has been in their lives, but things are better now that they have her. Rachel loved things the way they were now, and she was more excited for what was to come in the future. "I'll let you look, I need to get my pajamas on."

"For some reason 'I'll let you look', for me, associate with you taking clothes off, not putting some on and me looking at legal paper work." Santana chuckles and gets up. She kisses Rachel's shoulder, then steps to her side of the bed. "I'll read those later.." She says more to herself, then Rachel and picks up a flash driver and looks at her girlfriend, "Do I get some explanation, babe?"

Rachel turns her head slightly while reaching her pajamas, "It's a flash drive, it has 8 of our favorite songs.. Songs that you and I would listen to when we were doing those cram sessions for school." She explains as she slides her pajama pants up her legs. "I know it's corny.." She takes her pajama shirt off the hanger. "But I love those songs even more than before.. Your fault." Rachel playfully stuck her tongue out.

"This is crazy romantic and I love it." She places the flash driver back on her nightstand thinking she'd use it later, for her part. Santana let Rachel put her shirt on and steps towards her, pulling her close, "Thank you so much. I love you." She tells Rachel and kisses her lips. She really wants to give Rachel her gift, but she has a very nice plan for later that she doesn't want to ruin. "You'll have to wait for yours some more, though." Santana says against Rachel's lips, then steps her way and take her clothes off. "I'll need the room after our cuddle time, to get everything ready." She walks to her closet and grabs a clean pajamas.

"I'll be getting the movie ready and make some cocoa, or tea.. Whichever sounds better when I get to the kitchen." Rachel says while buttoning up her shirt. "Anything you wanna watch? Or should we go on Netflix for once?"

"Netflix sounds good." Santana go charge her phone, then starts to dress, "I'll be right there to help you."

"Kay, babe." Rachel smiles. With a skip in her step and a sway in her hips, Rachel was on her way to the kitchen. Happier than ever at how her life turned, regardless of losing the studio. To think that Santana and Dani were the primary causes of her happiness, Rachel liked the idea of that.

* * *

A few minutes later, Santana steps into the kitchen. She wraps her hands around Rachel body and place her head on her shoulder, "A quick question, does she knows that you were going to ask me? Cause if she does, I'm totally going to use going to use it." She says playfully and nuzzles the woman's neck.

"I'm sure she assumed." Rachel bit her lip, then looked back at Santana partially, enjoying the closeness of her girlfriend. "Can you believe it's almost been 5 months since Dani moved in?" She asks, then turns her attention to the coffee pot, placing water inside of the cooking part of it.

"Really? So much has happened.. It feels like forever, yet like you brought her home yesterday." Santana let out a breath. "Are you gonna get mad if I'll tease her a little?" Santana asks and kisses Rachel's neck. Rachel had to deal with Santana's AND Dani's teasing a lot more during Dani's break, especially since the two spent most of the time together and got closer. They know it's just for fun, but they also know Rachel can play as well as she's good when she wants to and when she had enough of it

"I dunno." Rachel states. "I think that she would have that attitude that you tell her to chill on." She points out while hitting 'Brew' on the coffee pot.

"So I'll wait with the 'Miss Lopez' for an appropriate occasion." She says quietly and move away from Rachel so she won't scream in her ear, "Dani, are you ready?" Santana calls out and walk to the home phone, getting ready to order some food.

Dani jumped a bit at the voice, she was still in her room texting Marley, and she nearly forgot that she needed to get ready. She tossed off her current clothes while looking for her pajamas, or at least sweat pants and real big Y-shirt. She found a pair of pants, slid into them, and while she was looking for a shirt to wear she noticed herself in the mirror that was built into the wardrobe, she took some time to look at herself. She puffed her chest up a bit, then placed her hands on her hips, then glared at her reflection. "Nah.." She chuckled, then threw on a shirt. "Coming, Mama!"

Santana ordered food and with the help from Dani, they brought some blankets and pillows to the living room and moved the coffee table so they could place the mattress and sit on it. While waiting for their food to arrive, the girls took some pictures together; around the tree and in the living room area. When there was a knock on the door, Santana went and paid the delivery guy and locked the door again.

"Ok, girls, we have lots of food and a pie, Dani and I made for dessert that has the potential to be great." Santana announces, walking back to the living room and placing the food on the table. "Do we need anything else or can we start the movie?"

Rachel shrugged. "Nothing that I can think of." she says as she places the tea on the coffee table. "Dani, did you pick anything?" She asks before sitting down.

"Uh.. Yeah." Dani nodded then hit a button on the remote to select the movie. "I picked Dark Shadows, I heard Marley talking about this movie. Also I love Johnny Depp."

"Yeah, he's great." Santana says and pulls the table closer so they could reach it easily, the she start eating. She takes a few bites while staring at Dani, she can't believe the girl is going to have her last name. _'Ma' is going to freak when I tell her!'_ She smiles and quickly looks away; it's kind of weird of her to stare. "Rach, does your food taste good?"

"It's great, San." Rachel smiles at Santana then goes back to her food. "Did you guys enjoy your Christmas?" She asked the two.

"I loved it, it was the best Christmas I've had so far." Dani gave Rachel a gentle hug, squeezed her mother's waist. "Thanks, so much."

Santana watches them and feels warm inside. "You got gifts from everyone, but you have one more waiting for you for after the movie." Santana winks at the girls.

"Oh, my." Dani winks back at Santana then sat up to eat her food.

Rachel blushed a slight amount, she tries to ignore the comments from both Dani and Santana. _'God, both of them are gonna kill me; one with cuteness, the other with sexiness.'_

The family spent the next hour and a half eating and cuddling while watching the movie. Santana is well aware of Dani's past and she knows they still have some years ahead of them for her to give them a hard time, but this girl is a special teen and Santana can't get enough of spending time with her. Better yet, being with the two of them is all Santana needs. After cleaning up, it was time for Dani to get her present.

After getting the item from their room, Santana sits next to Rachel and smile, "You want to say something?" She asks Rachel.

Rachel leaned her head against Santana's shoulder, she held her girlfriend's hand for a few moments. "I don't want to say something that would give away what we got you, let's just say you more than deserve to have it."

Dani looked at her moms and smiled a bit. "Alright." She said before unwrapping the gift to see a box with a computer brand name on it, she observed the box a bit, then unfolded the tabs, lifting it up she saw a brand new laptop. Dani's eyes widened quite a bit. "W-What.. Uh.." She closed the box and looked back at her moms. "Thank you.. But there is no way I deserve this." She furrowed her eyebrows, then gently pushes the box away from her. "I.. I r-really don't."

Santana glance at Rachel, the pushes the box back towards Dani. "Sweetie, you know why you deserve it? Because you brought so much joy into our life, thanks to you the potential for so many things became true." She wraps her arm around Rachel's waist, "You were that thing that was missing." She takes a deep breath and licks her lips, "And you grew so much, dear. And this is your home and you do need a laptop. We'll have some rules, but we want you to have it. We love you, baby, enjoy it."

Dani bit the inside of her lower lip to prevent her lips from quivering, she sniffled once and kept her gaze at her parents. "I.. I never thought that things could get better.." She admits shyly while she rubbed her eyes. Dani had a lot of flashbacks, not just her parents, but life on the streets. A lot of demons she had in her closet that she was not sure she'd ever get over, and it hurt her to live it. "W-When Rachel found me.. I was running away from some attackers." She sniffed some more. "For the most part I was just wanting to do whatever I could to make it through whatever Rachel had in store for me, but when she started showing a soft side, and she was willing to open up to me.." Dani moved over to her parents, holding on to them both. "I felt like, for once I was needed, and that I belonged.."

Rachel looked at her daughter, feeling terrible for hearing about everything Dani mentally went through. "You were meant to be here, that's fate.." She looks at Santana for a few seconds, she mouthed 'I love you.' to her girlfriend then looks back at Dani.

Santana arms wrap around her girls, feeling the need to have them close and protect them. "I hate that you had to go through all those horrible things, but it's over and we'll never let anyone hurt you." Santana assures the girl, "And like promised, after the break, we'll start checking therapists and we won't stop until you'll find the right one and begin the healing process." It's mostly directed to Dani, but Santana glance to Rachel and make sure she knows it applies to her as well.

"I love you both.. Thank you.." Dani whispers and grips tighter around them. "I know it's obvious.. But you two are my real parents, my real family.." She places a kiss on both Rachel and Santana's cheek.

Rachel calmly smiled, holding onto her girls as tight as she could. "We love you too Dani.." She proudly said then kissed the young girl's temple. "You're our girl."

"Ok, Ok, stop before we all start to mope," She moves back a little so she could look at Dani's eyes, "Dani, we have some rules regarding the use of the laptop." Santana brushes the area under her eyes, stopping the tears that almost fell, "You're allowed to use it only after doing your homework and until you get ready for bed. You can't use it while you eat and for now, you can't take it out of the apartment." She states and thinks of additional rules she might forgotten, "If your mom doesn't have anything to add, you can go enjoy your present."

"On weekends, you if you want to, or can't sleep, you can get on Netflix and watch stuff to help you go to sleep." Rachel looks over at Santana for approval of the rule.

Santana gives Rachel a small nod and smile. "Be careful with sites and people, ok? I don't want to check your computer, because I do believe it's private, but I will if I'll think something isn't right." A small shivers run through Santana's body when she thinks of what can Dani find on the internet.

"Now, go have fun with your present." Rachel winks at her daughter.

Dani slowly nods, "Thanks again.." She smiles a bit, stands up and picks up her laptop, she then walks into her room and closes the door behind her.

Rachel sighed and leaned against Santana once more. "She's probably never going to leave her room now, not that she does normally." She jokes.

Santana pulls Rachel closer and chuckles, "Yeah, between Marley, Elliot and the laptop, we're not going to see much of her.. Teenagers.." She place a few kisses on Rachel's cheek and squeeze her, "You're so cute!"

Rachel smirks slightly, "In what way?" She asks as she looks at Santana. "Or is it one of those things that are hard to explain?"

"I'm not saying another word." Santana pulls herself from Rachel and gets up, "Keep yourself busy for the next five minutes, I need to get ready for giving you your present." She pecks Rachel's lips and start walking.

"Okay." Rachel gets up and starts picking up the dishes on the table, carrying them to the sink. After she does this she walks to the fridge, pulls out one of her light beers, pops the cap then takes a sip.

Santana starts feeling nervous; she held it together nicely so far, but now it's getting to her. She doesn't want to make too big of a deal of what she has for Rachel, but on the other hand it is a step forward. She closes the door of their room behind her and goes to her backpack, taking out a mistletoe that she worked very hard to keep alive; she takes it and hung it above their bed using Sellotape. She goes back to her bag and takes some scented candles out, placing them around the room and lights them. Santana steps close to the mirror and fix her makeup and pulls her hair up. She's not sure if she should change from her pajama, eventually decides to keep it. She looks at her reflection for a few long moments, gathering her confidence, then calls out for Rachel.

Rachel sat her beer on the kitchen table, quickly walked past the living room, and down the hall. She opened the door and saw their room all done up, the aroma was heaven to Rachel's nose. "Oh my.." She said while shutting the door behind her. "Santana.."

Yes, Rachel succeeded to bring back the romantic side of Santana and if the Latina is honest with herself, she missed it badly. She smiles at Rachel and walks to her, takes her hand and bringing her to the middle of the room. "I'm not so good with talking about feeling, I just get awkward.." Santana let go of Rachel's hand and taps her fingers on the sides of her legs, "You might think it's childish or the other way around, think it's too much, but it's not. Maybe it's something you do in high school, who cares? We wasted too much time and it's mostly my fault." Santana can feel how her nervousness is taking over and she's rambling, "Rachel, I love you. We've been through so much together and, now, I believe we were meant to walk this road. You're my rock, the person I look up to and you are the one who healed me and gave me all I ever wished for." She takes a deep breath and exhale. Santana walks to her bag one last time and take a small box, then turns around, "I'm not proposing, so don't freak." She chuckles, her hands are shaking a bit, "But it is a ring, a promise ring." Santana hands the box to Rachel and takes a few second to calm down.

Seeing that ring took Rachel by surprise, she knew it wasn't an engagement ring, but the sentiment in Santana's words was all she needed. "Santana, you do know that I was on the other end of it all.. I didn't contribute until so long after." She held the ring and looked at it closely. "I love you too.. But what is your promise to me?"

"I made these promises a long time ago, I guess it's time to share it with you." Santana takes the ring from Rachel and holds the woman's hand, "I promise that my love for you will always grow, I promise to take care of you and Dani the best way I possibly can and to make your dreams come true. She finishes, then remembers the last and very important thing, "I also promise to, one day, turn this ring to the one that'll tie us together forever." She tells Rachel and smile. "Do you accept this ring?" Santana asks, holding the ring and Rachel's hand with her shaky hands.

"Of course.." Rachel holds out her hand, keeping a calm smile on her face. "I proudly accept this ring."

Santana feels like a weight was lifted from her chest when she hears Rachel's answer and slides the ring on her finger. She puts her arms around her girlfriend's body and holds her close, planting kisses on her neck.

"Ah.." Rachel lets out in pleasure. The simple touch of Santana could drive Rachel sexually insane in a matter of seconds, and she never figured out how it's possible.

"That was the most emotional Christmas I had in my life!" Santana says and rest her forehead on Rachel's, "What do you want to do now?"

Rachel sat on the bed and smiled at Santana some more "Well, we could kiss under that mistletoe that's hanging above our bed." She looks up at it, her smile turns into a slight smirk. "I'm shocked you were able to preserve that thing."

"I can do anything when I really want to." Santana smiles playfully and makes a couple of steps toward the bed. She tucks some hair behind Rachel's ears and place a kiss on her lips. "Well, we have leftovers if Dani gets hungry, so we don't need to cook." She says slowly and quietly while straddling Rachel, "And she's pretty busy with her toy.." She locks her hands around Rachel's neck, "I guess we can make out for a little while." She bite her lip and taps Rachel's nose with hers.

"A little while?" Rachel asks then starts placing soft kisses on Santana's lips, she ran one hand down her girlfriend's waist then grazes her hips. "We should make that.. A long while."

"Oh, I want to, especially when I know what's under your pajamas." Santana tugs on Rachel shirt, then returns her hand to where it was, "But it's early and we don't want Dani to hear anything she shouldn't."

"Good point." Rachel nodded then laid back, pulling Santana with her. "But what if we end up in a.. Compromising position?" She asks as she brushes their noses together some.

"I'm starting to think you can't control yourself around me, Miss Berry." Santana raises her eyebrow. Her arms on either side of Rachel, supporting her so she won't press her whole weight on Rachel. She gets closer to her girlfriend's ear and husks, "I guess someone's liking the risk of getting caught?" She kisses Rachel's neck and looks back into her eyes, "We'll have to make sure your pajamas stays on or find something else to do to keep us busy."

"Or.." Rachel runs her hands up and down Santana's back, she kept calm while Santana was this close to her. "Let's just.. Talk." She suggests with a smile. "I mean we do talk a lot, but just.. I don't know.. Like, in a calm atmosphere do we rarely talk."

Santana attaches their lips for a short kiss, then lays next to Rachel, "What do you want to talk about?"

"As self-centered as it sounds; me." Rachel answers. "You have been making all sorts of promises to me, making yourself better for me.. Relationships are a two-way street.. So I must know, what can I do in return?"

"But you did make promises to me, the two that counts; you said you wouldn't leave and that you won't take Dani from me." Santana tells Rachel and turns on her side. One of her hands supports her head and the other moves on Rachel stomach. "The only thing I want is for you to take care of yourself, for your own good and ours." She looks up at Rachel with a serious face, "What I said to Dani earlier was meant for you too, but it won't be easy. I just need you to not give up."

Rachel bites her lower lip and looks towards Santana's hand, "But.. You do so much for me." She slightly frowns. "I feel like I need to do what I can to make you feel.. Uh.." Rachel shook her head, then covered her face. "Fuck, this is difficult!" She lets out.

"Rachel, I know you for ten years," She takes Rachel's hand from her face and smiles, "And you're fucking Rachel Berry, C'mon!" She giggles and scoots closer.

"I just don't want you to have to do all the compromising when I know I have shit to work on too.." Rachel looks at Santana with sad eyes. "I wouldn't feel right knowing that you struggle so much for me, and I do nothing in return."

"You getting treatment is doing something, babe." Santana tries to assure her, "It's not a competition. If I had something that was bothering me, I'd tell you, but there isn't. Honestly, all I want is for you to deal with your issues." She rests her forehead on Rachel's, "You're all I want and need. If you feel you need to self-improve, that's great, but I don't need anything."

Rachel gives a slight nod then a kiss onto Santana's lips. "Okay.." She softly says with a smile on her face. "I love you.. So fucking much."

"I love you too." Santana stars to peck Rachel's lips, "Maybe I do have something, you should kiss me more." She between kisses.

"Hm.." Rachel sucks on Santana's bottom lip for a few moments, she tilts her head and pushes into the kiss. She moves her hand onto Santana's waist while they kiss, giving it a tight grip, not to the point where it'd hurt Santana.

Santana moves back to lay on top of Rachel; her hands cups her face and she keeps the pace of her kisses as slow as she can. Her tongue tease Rachel's some, the Santana deepens the kiss, but not changing the pace. After a few minutes, Santana pulls back, feeling a bit high, "Yeah, much more of those." She states with a dopey smile, "Better then pot; not that I ever came close to it if Dani asks, but you should still try it."

Rachel chuckles at Santana's comment. "Babe, I'm almost positive that you wouldn't allow me to attempt anyways." She points out while running one hand through Santana's hair. "You barely like it when I drink my light beer."

"Cause alcohol is bad for you and I don't want you getting drunk or even tipsy around other people. What can you do, you have a jealous girlfriend that you love." Santana chuckles and kisses Rachel's face and neck, "But it could be interesting, you'd totally jump me."

"Let's let that be a thought, and not a future attempt." Rachel pokes Santana's nose gently. "Speaking of alcohol I left my beer on the kitchen table.. And kissing you makes me rather exhausted, in a good way." She points out. "I'd really like that drink, or another drink if you'd be willing to get it for me."

"Such a responsible mother." Santana gets out of bed, "Anything else you want, mi amor?" She stands at the room entrance and fix her shirt and pants.

"Yes. When you get back I want you to get rid of that top, mush our soft lady lips together.. And let my hand travel along your amazing abs." Rachel winked at Santana then scooted to the middle of the bed, resting her head on her hands.

Santana bites her lip and shakes her head, then walks to the living room. She picks up Rachel's beer and drink what's left on her way to the kitchen. Santana opens the fridge and takes a cold one out and opens it. She stops at Dani's room, but decides not to interrupt her conversation with Marley, so she makes her way back to her room. Once there, Santana hands Rachel her beer and steps to the middle of the room. She wishes she could actually give a show, but it can wait for another time. Now, Santana gives Rachel a very innocent look and bite on her lower lip while slowly unbuttoning her shirt and swaying her body.

Rachel bit her lip and raised a brow. "Damn, just pure eye sex right there." She bellows out before taking a sip of her beer. "I'm doing that right, right? I never cat called before."

"You are so damn cute." Santana says and makes her way to Rachel, "And yeah, you did good." Santana lick her lips, "You want to feel my abs now or finish your beer? I have some more fabric to get rid of." She smirks and places a hand on her hip.

"Well.." Rachel sets her beer on the nightstand. "C'mere and let me run my hands all over you." She playfully demanded. "Cat calling aside, I need my 'Tana to hold me."

Santana lies back on the bed and pulls Rachel so half of the woman's body is on her. "How can one, tiny person can be that adorable and sexy at the same time, huh?" She taps Rachel's nose, then wraps her arms around her.

"I'm not that tiny." Rachel pouts a tiny bit. "But I don't know how I can be either, I guess I am just me." She shrugs then runs one hand against Santana's stomach. "Damn.. I love this body of yours.."

"And I love every part of you; outside and inside." Santana smiles and pulls Rachel closer, "You wanted the shirt off, but you need to cuddle me to keep me warm, you know I hate when it's cold." She says and squeezes Rachel tightly.

Rachel shifted her hands to where she's holding Santana as close as she could, brushing their noses together. "And you know I hate when you're uncomfortable." She says in a calm tone. "I'm glad I have you.."

"Yeah, I've been told I'm pretty great." Santana says playfully and grins.

"Well, I'm your girlfriend, I wouldn't say it if it wasn't true." Rachel retorts then pecks Santana's lips.

"Best girlfriend." Santana smiles and trace her hands on Rachel's back, "Can we nap for a little while? I feel sleepy." She closes her eyes and waits for Rachel to turn the lights and cuddle her.

"Sure thing." Rachel nods then reaches to turn off the light, once she does she wraps her arms back around Santana then hums a soft tune.

* * *

**Thoughts of their first Christmas together, the gifts and the family time?**

**'till next time!**


	19. Chapter 19 - Part I

**Written with Newphew.**

**Part I**

* * *

Heading into spring; Santana indeed kept her word to both Rachel and Dani. Both of her girls have been seeing their therapist for nearly 2 months now, Rachel was officially diagnosed with Eisoptrophobia which explains the reaction to her reflection on numerous occasions. Instead of prescribed drugs, the therapist recommended that Rachel should try some breathing, and do some mind placement. Pretty much telling Rachel not to see the mirror as her reflection, but to see the mirror as another person. At times it helped, but sometimes Rachel really wished she had the prescriptions to help her. Dani's case, however, it was more severe than anyone would really think. Not only did she get diagnosed as PTSD, but she was also diagnosed with Agoraphobia, which didn't help her in cases when she had to go to school and Marley wasn't there. The therapist prescribed some Prozac to help calm the young girl down thankfully, since she started taking her medicine, she didn't get hooked.

Dani's day started like every other one; she got to school, meets up with Marley and Elliot and spent most of her day with them. But today something was different; the two that makes her feel safe to be at school are rehearsing for a play the glee club is going to do in a few weeks. That left Dani alone for a few classes. She tells them she'd be fine and can handle it and some part of her wants so badly to believe she actually can; or else she's taking her medications for nothing. So when the bell rings Dani is making her way to class all by herself. She tries to get there as fast as she possibly can, but there are so many people and she can get air into her lungs. Dani tries to find her way out, now, or find Marley, but her vision becomes a blur and she can't stand on her feet. The young girl falls into the ground and gasps for air. She no longer at school, for her, she's back in her own private hell. She hugs her legs close to her body and rocks back and forward. She's so in distress that she can't even cry, nothing comes out.

Rachel was getting makeup done on her for her web interview; the topics she was going to touch base on had to do with a tiny bit of her personal life, not too much of it though. Rachel was going to go public with her relationship with Santana and to tell everyone about the fact that she has a daughter in Dani. Rachel's phone started to ring; someone from Dani's school was calling. "Hello?" She answers. "..What!? Oh my fucking.. Is she okay!?" She started to panic a bit, and then hung up her phone. Rachel grabbed her bag and quickly ran out of the room and studio and looked for a taxi cab. "Taxi! Someone!?" Rachel was fighting tears as she pulled out her phone to call Santana. Sadly she didn't get an answer, so she tries the next best thing; Kurt. "Fucking answer.. Fucking answer.."

_"Barbra! How'd the interview go?"_

"I didn't go; I need to know if you heard from Santana, I'm freaking out!" Rachel let's out while still trying to signal a taxi.

"Wait, Rach hold on a second, what's going on?" Kurt asks with a concerned tone of voice.

"M-My baby is on her way to the hospital and I need my girlfriend here, that way she and I can see Dani together and I don't lose my shit on people that don't deserve it." Rachel asks and panic further takes over.

Kurt's eyes widened a bit, he grabbed his coat and slipped his shoes on. _"Rachel. Rachel, I want you to relax, just go on to the hospital, I will meet you there."_

"O-Okay.." Rachel hung up, then decided to run a bit of ways towards the direction of the hospital before eventually getting a taxi cab to take her the rest of the way.

Dani doesn't know where she is or what's going on with her, she only sees lights, hear voices and feel people touching her. She quietly tells them to stop and leave her alone. She vaguely remembers that something good happened to her, but that can't be in a world where her father hits her and her mother barley acknowledges her existence. She begs the people to let her go, telling them she didn't do anything, that she'd be better. When nothing helps Dani gets quiet and she feels a bit sleepy. She's not even half awake, but this smell is familiar, but not for good reasons; she tries to get up, but can't move. Dani tries to fight to get loose, but nothing helps. She just lies there, staring at the ceiling, feelings scared.

Rachel got to the hospital, she ran inside over to the desk. "Where is she... Where is she!?" she asks frantically.

"M-Mam? Who?"

"My daughter." Rachel breathes in and out. "D-Dani Lopez.." She lets out.

The secretary typed a few things on the computer. "Dani.. Lopez... Ah!" She looked up at Rachel and nodded. "She's in room 307, down the hall, take the elevator to the third floor."

Rachel nodded, and then followed the direction, impatiently waited for the elevator, and on the elevator, but eventually she made it over to the room Dani is in.

The doctor that's taking care of Dani just leave the room when he runs into a visibly stresses woman. "Excuse me; are you the mother of this child?" He asks.

"Y-Yes, I'm her mom." Rachel says in her attempt to calm down. "What happened to my baby?" She asked.

"Mrs. Lopez, your child had a severe anxiety attack." He starts and asks a nurse to bring the woman water. "We had to sedate and restrain her because she doesn't aware of where she's at and can hurt herself. We contacted her therapist and we'd like to keep her for 72 hours observations; she is calmer, but still not responding to her surroundings."

"I'm.." Rachel wanted to correct the doctor about her last name, but she was more worried about Dani. "Are overnight visits acceptable?" She asks.

"Because she's a minor, you can stay, but unfortunately, you can't see her yet." He tells her slowly, "She's in a delicate state at the moment; we need to help her understand she's no longer in danger and get her to see her current life. I know it's hard, but it's for her own good. Please be patient."

"B-But.." Rachel started to stammer a bit.

"Rachel." Kurt placed a hand over his friend's shoulder, grazing it gently.

Rachel, quickly holding on to Kurt as tightly as she could. "I need Santana.." She sniffled some. "Where is she.."

Kurt nodded "Let's look for her, I brought my car." He said as he started walking with Rachel held close to him. They started walking towards the elevator.

Blaine is going up the elevator, his body shaking. He got a text from his husband saying Dani was brought here and that he was on his way to be with Rachel. It took him a second to find out in which ward Dani is and he made his way as fast as he could. The elevator opens and he sees two familiar faces, but now there is fear written all over them and tears in his friend's eyes. "Rachel! How's Dani?" He walks out and takes some steps towards the bench.

"D-Dani had an anxiety attack at school.." Rachel answered while following Blaine, tears were fighting to stream down her face. "Have you heard from Santana by any chance?" She asks, hoping that Blaine would have the answer to the Latina's whereabouts.

He didn't want to do it; not in a regular situation and definitely not when his friend is in this state and needs to worry about her daughter. But Blaine guessed it'd better coming from him. He looks at Kurt, then back at Rachel and takes her hand. "That's part of the reason I'm here.. Santana, she's been in a car accident and-"

"W-What..?" Rachel's body started to shake. She didn't want to believe that Santana was in a car accident, not now, not when she needed Santana to hold her and tell her things will be okay. "No, no, no.." She shook her head and held her arms. "P-Please... That can't be true.." Her tears won the fight as they dripped down her cheek.

"I'm so sorry, Rachel." Blaine tries to hold his friend and looks at Kurt for some help, because right now he feels useless; all he has for her is bad news. "I barely got to see her, they took her into surgery the moment she got here.." He knows that if the Latina was here she'd smack him for making it worse, "The best doctors are working on her. I work here and I know them, she's in good hands."

Kurt was also taken aback by the news, not as much as Rachel was, but taken nonetheless. He placed a hand on Rachel's back and stroked it gently "Honey, l-look, it'll be okay.. I promise." He tries to assure his friend.

Rachel was still in shock, her breathing was irregular at this rate. "Both of my girls... Are in the hospital.." She moved away from Kurt and Blaine. "How will it be okay at this rate.." She asks while doing her best to remain calm, sadly it wasn't working out much for her.

"Yeah.. Strong.." Rachel sits down on the bench and stares at the ground, her mind constantly racing about what she can do and why this happened.

Blaine feels hopeless; the one person Rachel needs is in critical condition and lying in an OR. He does know what Santana would've said if she was here and he's sure she'd want them to help Rachel stay strong. "Ok, now it's the time to freak out, but there is a frightened young girl in the room over there." He points, then scoots closer to Rachel, "She'll have question and she'll cry, so you can't let her see all that." He points at her, "You need a plan because she's in a very sensitive condition. So let it all out, but then you must be strong! Think what Santana would want and that's definitely not you breaking down."

"I-I don't think I can.." Rachel admits shyly. "Two people I love more than anything in this world are here, being treated." She points out as she runs her hands through her hair. "I-I need something cold.. Now." Rachel demanded in a shaky tone of voice.

Blaine sighs; there isn't much he can do or say, "I'll go get you some soda from the machine.." He gets up and after giving Kurt a long look, he walks to the nearest machine.

* * *

Rachel and Kurt were cuddled up in the waiting room, they watched some of the shows that were playing on the TV. In Rachel's mind it was taking too long for her to see Dani, and she knew it would almost take an eternity in her head to see Santana. A few hours have passed since they arrived at the hospital, and Rachel had fallen asleep on Kurt, having a tight grip on his shirt due to her being scared of him ending up like Santana and Dani.

Kurt slightly woke up on his own, he looked around the room. It was really quiet, not that Kurt minded much but he did expect some noise for a New York hospital.

Dani's doctor finished his examination and got her to eat her dinner, then left the room. He tells the nurse the meds Dani need to be on from now on and leave for the waiting area. He sees the Dani's mother is asleep, but the man beside her isn't, so he steps towards them. "Hello, you must be Mr. Lopez, I'm Dani's doctor. I have some updates about your daughter."

Kurt gave a look of derision towards the doctor, "I'm sorry, my last name is Anderson, and Dani is my niece." He said while scratching the back of his head. "Is she going to be okay?"

"Oh, I'm very sorry, Mr. Anderson. And I can't disclose this information to you, only Dani's parents." The doctor tells him, "You want to wake Mrs. Lopez or should I come back later?"

"Ms. Lopez is- Ow." Kurt was going to explain but got pinched by Rachel.

Rachel looked up at the doctor, rubbing her eyes gently. "What's up with my daughter?" She calmly asked.

"I examined her and I'm happy to tell you that she seems to be doing much better." The doctor smiles a bit, "If she'd keep getting better, eat well and won't have any other attack, I'll consider discharging her after 24 hours." He says, "If you don't have any questions, you may go see her."

Rachel shot up and ran to the room, pulling Kurt with her. When they get inside Rachel was rather scared, seeing Dani in that hospital bed was something she'd never thought she would see. "D-Dani..?"

Dani's face light up a little when she hears Rachel's voice, "Ma'?" She calls quietly as some tears fall from her eyes. She places the yogurt on the table next to her and looks at Rachel; thankfully she was no longer restrained, but she is nervous and unsure, this time of whether her moms angry at her.

Rachel walked to Dani, unsure if she should hug the young girl or not. "I'm here baby.." She says as she sits on the seat beside the bed. "You.. Uh.." She gulped.

Dai moves her legs close to her chest and wraps her hands around her knees, "A-Are you a-angry?" She asks and bites her inner cheek.

"Absolutely not." Rachel placed her hand over Dani's, her thumb stroking the back of her daughter's hand. "You.. You had an anxiety attack at school.."

"Dr. Lewis told me.. I had to wear these," Dani gesture with her head at the restraints. "I didn't mean to c-cause you all this t-trouble, I'm sorry mom." She starts to sob, "I was a-along a-a-a-nd got so scared.."

"Dani.." Rachel couldn't help but tear up some more. "You didn't cause any trouble for me, honey." She tries to keep herself strong for Dani, but with how much things that happened, she wasn't sure if she could keep strong. "I will talk to the doctors about the restraints, since I am here I can keep you safe.."

"He said they'd have to if it happens again.." She leans her head on her mom's shoulder, but not yet to hug her, "They gave me some stuff, but I remember how terrifying it was.." She gulps, "Please, don't leave me."

"I won't.." Rachel wraps an arm over Dani's shoulder, sniffling a bit. "K-Kurt.. You don't need to stay, if you want to go home, I won't stop you."

Kurt shook his head as he walked over to the other chair that was in the room. "You need someone here for you, and giving the circumstances.. I can't risk leaving my family at this time." He looked at Rachel as seriously as he could.

Rachel didn't smile, but she did feel a small sliver better than she did when she got there. "You see why I love your Auntie Porcelain, Dani?"

Dani looks up at Rachel with a frown, "Circumstances? What is he talking about?" Dani's heartbeats starting to race, "Mom.. Where is mama?" Santana isn't there and for Dani, it can only mean one thing; Santana had enough. She's on meds, but Dani feels scared again and her body shakes.

"Love you so, very much Kurt." Rachel angrily pursed her lips, she then looked over at Dani with worried eyes. "Uh.. Dani." She gulped. "Mama.. Is in intensive care.." The fact she had to say those words broke Rachel's heart. "She got into a terrible accident, I don't know how she did.. But.." She couldn't explain as well. Rachel was trying her best to not break down and cry in front of her daughter and Kurt.

It's like her world stopped. Dani freeze in her place, her eyes staring, empty, pass Rachel and her mouth is slightly open. She can feel how, with every word Rachel said, sadness takes over. Maybe she wasn't meant to be happy and to have a loving family.. And now her mom can.. The tears just roll down her face as the monitor that's checks her heartbeats begin to beep loudly. Dani looks at Rachel again, "I need to see her, take me to her."

"B-Baby.. You need to relax.." Rachel's voice was a mixture of scared, but strict, she gently cups Dani's face and grazes the young girl's cheeks. "We can't see Mama just yet, but I promise at some point we will.. Things are going to be okay, we will be okay." She tries to assure Dani as much as she could. "Your Mama is strong, she won't allow herself to be taken away from us.. I promise."

"No!" Dani pulls away from Rachel, "What if she won't be ok? What is she'd leave and the last thing I told her was some stupid thing?!" Dani gets up from the bed, not even noticing she pulled out her IV. Her breath becomes short and the crying only making it worse, "W-What if she'd l-leave us?"

Dr. Lewis and a nurse rush into the room and looks around, noticing the very emotional people in the room. The nurse tries to calm Dani down, but the girl pushes her away, saying she wants to see her mom.  
"Dani, you'll faint if you won't let Nurse Hillary to take care of you." The doctor tells her, "We talked about it, you need to cooperate, for your own good." Then he turns to Rachel, "What caused her to get like this?"

"Finding out her other parent is in intensive care." Rachel admits but is more focused on Dani. "Dani, sweetie.. You have my word, my eternal promise that Santana won't leave us." She holds Dani's hand as tight as she could. "This is hard for me too.." Her voice returned to her shaky state. "My mind is literally in hell, and I am terrified of what has happened."

Dani just looks around, she doesn't feel comfortable anymore. The doctor notices that and when the nurse is done with Dani's IV, he asks her to leave.

"I understand it's a difficult time for all of you, but Dani must stay as calm as possible." He gives Rachel a serious look, "In the IV there is something that will help with that, but she's been through a lot today and she needs to rest. I will leave you alone, but if she won't relax I'll have to ask you to leave." He explains.

"I'll be fine." Dani says quietly, trying to sound convincing; she can't be alone, Rachel can't go. When the doctor leaves, Dani gets back on the bed and wipe her tears, "You can't promise she'd be fine, mom.." Her lips quiver, "But she is strong a-and she can't.. We love each other, we're family, and she can't go." She scoots closer to her mom and snuggles against her body.

"She won't go.." Rachel rests her head against her daughter's. She was more scared now than she was before, and she still had the thought of losing Santana and Dani in her head. "Things will be okay.."

"You'd go check on her, after we cuddle?" She tightens her grip on her mom, "A-And if she needs you, you can sleep with her and auntie Porcelain can stay with me." The young girl wasn't sure she'd get any sleep or be able to stay calm without her mom, but if it'd help her mama, she'd do anything. "You'd stay, right?" She looks at Kurt with sad eyes.

"W-Well.." Kurt's eyes connected with Dani's and almost instantly felt sad for even considering going home, he couldn't do that to the young girl. "Of course, but.. Basic cable will not suit me.." He said while pointing at the TV. "Give me an hour, I'll be back with my laptop, and we can watch good programming, assuming that the Wi-Fi here is good." Kurt stood up and smiled at Dani. "Would that be okay with you?"

An hour, she can do it. Dani nods, "Only if you'll bring me my phone and.. Come back quickly."

"Sure thing." Kurt nods towards Dani then looked at Rachel. "Is there anything you want me to grab for you on my way?" He asks.

Rachel slightly looked up at Kurt worryingly. "Uh.. I guess grab my Kindle, I'd like to do some reading." She gently stroked Dani's shoulder.

"Okay, be back." Kurt smiled at the two then left the room.

"Mom, can you text Kurt to bring us some to eat? The food here is shit.." Dani asks and lowers her body so she could lay her head on her mom's chest.

"Young lady... Yeah the food is kinda shit here." Rachel was going to tell Dani to mind her language, but everything that the young girl had went through, it was more understandable to let her express herself as much as she can while she's here. She pulled her phone out, tapped the 'Messaging' app then typed.  
**To Kurt:****_ 'Bring by some Chinese food, you know what I usually get for me. Get Dani some Orange Chicken and Pork Fried Rice. Please and thank you.'_** She hit send.

"Mom?" Dani asks quietly and plays with Rachel's shirt.

"Yes, sweetie?" Rachel looks down at Dani with a slight smile on her face, even though she was the exact opposite of happy, she just wanted to show Dani that things were okay.

Dani loves Kurt with all her heart, but she's glad to have some alone time with her mom after everything that happened. "Y-You still love me, right?" She feels stupid to ask, but something in her won't let her rest until she'd hear Rachel's answer.

"Now what kind of silly question is that?" Rachel asks, then kisses the top of Dani's head. "Of course I love you, you're my girl." She says happily. "No matter what, that was what I told you all that time ago.." She lets out. "You've lived with us for almost 8 months, and in that time you changed us for the better, you made us stronger.. Me, Santana, Kurt, Blaine, Marley, Elliot.. You give us strength." Rachel says. "Which is what makes me so confident that Mama will make it, and that we won't lose her.."

Dani smiles a shy smile and kiss Rachel's cheek, then goes back to her previous position, "I love you too, mom." Even with everyone saying it and a couple of months in therapy, Dani still has a hard time accepting compliments of this kind. Nevertheless, it helps her feel a bit better and safe in her mom's embrace. "And she has to get better. Who else I'd tease? And who would kick my ass when I'll get home drunk one night?" She jokes, but still feels the tears on the verge of falling down.

"I think I would be the one kicking your butt, and Santana would be the one carrying you home from the bar." Rachel jokes back. "I don't want you to think about alcohol 'till you're at least 50," She exaggerates, but is almost serious about the fact that she doesn't want Dani to drink, like at all. "Before you call me out on my hypocrisy, I just want you to know.. I am gonna quit drinking alcohol."

"Mama will be happy to hear that.. But you don't have to; I know people drink and that you can do it in a safe way." She never really thought about consuming alcohol, maybe she's not yet in the 'breaking laws' stage of her growing up. "Mama can get really jealous, huh?" Dani feels exhausted, but she wants and needs to talk about Santana; if she can see her and be around her, at least she'll have that. "And she's so weird sometimes.."

"She is weird, but I love her.." Rachel bit her lower lip then sighed. "I wish I knew the details of what caused the accident.." She admits as she grips Dani a little tighter.

"Some idiot hit her, for sure." Dani states, "Mama is the best driver, even if she's in a rush and that's every morning when you're not home to make sure we leave on time." Dani giggles, "But don't tell her I said that."

"That idiot better pray I don't find him, that's for sure.." Rachel states, not in the mood for giving sympathy to anyone that put Santana in this predicament. "Dani you think your mama is scary when she's mad, you haven't seen your mother when she's mad.."

Dani gulps, "I'll remember that.." She takes a deep breath, "You can't let her go, mom, we just found each other."

"I won't let her go.. I never had the thought in my head." Rachel kisses Dani's temple once more. "I wouldn't let either of my loves go, they are the reason why I am me."

"I just want her to hug me.." Dani sniffle; she can't go another round of crying, "You have something special in your hugs and I need hers as well.."

"In due time, baby.. In due time.." Rachel grips Dani as tight as she can without hurting her. "For now.. Let's just relax and watch.. Whatever shows this is."

"It looks old, how do you not know that, mom?" Dani looks up and smirks, hoping to help Rachel feel even a bit better.

Rachel looked at Dani with a slight glare, "You know I think I may return some items I bought for a particular day." She returned the smirk. "Maybe for a chrome trophy case."

"Mom, you being old doesn't mean I can't get presents." Dani simply states, "Not that I want or expect anything, but if you insist.."

Rachel gasped rather loudly, she never gotten so insulted.. At least playfully insulted; which is how Rachel took the situation. "You are so lucky that you're connected to a machine right now." She keeps her glare at Dani. "Otherwise, I'd tickle you 'till you begged for mercy." Rachel gently ran her finger nails along Dani's side.

Dani's eyes almost fall from their holes and she gulps audibly, "I love you, mom." She says with a shaky voice, "And you are so beautiful!" She tightens her hold and Rachel.

"Oh? I thought I was old." Rachel softly chuckles, then stopped tickling Dani. "I'll let you off easy today, but I promise, next time I won't be as nice." she stuck her tongue out playfully.

Dani sticks her tongue out as well, then snuggles again. "I'm hungry.. Where's Kurt?"

"Uh.. He's probably on his way, you know how traffic is here." Rachel looks at the clock in the room, holding Dani a bit closer. "Also, he could be picking up our food.. So that's another thing."

Dani rolls her eyes, then close them, "I guess-" She yawns, "I'll nap until he gets here and I could make him feel guilty for running late." She smiles "You'll keep holding me right?"

"Of course I will." Rachel kisses Dani's temple again. "You rest good.. I will be here 'till you're able to go home."

* * *

Kurt did eventually come back, it took him longer to get back, but he did nonetheless. And like Dani said, she made him feel bad for running late, but in turn felt bad for making Kurt feel bad so she apologized. The three conversed during their meal, Kurt expressed his distaste for the latest models on America's Next Top Model which instantly started a form of a political debate between Kurt and Dani. Sometime during this said debate Rachel had remembered that her phone died and she needed to charge it, luckily she had her charger in her purse so she plugged everything in. Once her phone turned on she started to receive a few missed calls and text messages from Santana's mom of all people; Rachel read the texts and nodded at each one. Blaine walked in and he looked a mixture of happy, but really sad, he explained that Santana was out of surgery and was able to take visitors. Rachel got up, her spirits lifted and she was ready to go see Santana, and as she headed out of the room Blaine placed a hand on her shoulder. He let Rachel know that only relatives can go in and visit Santana at this time, which made Rachel very, very depressed. Suddenly a blessing in disguise came in the form of Maribel; she walked past the room that Rachel, Dani, and Kurt were in to see Santana, which was more than apparent to Rachel.

Santana's doctor came to talk to Maribel, but she first wanted to see her child. They warned her that Santana has some injuries on her face and connected to various machines that help monitor her and keeping her alive. The woman nodded and entered the room, gasping at the sight of her girl's swollen face. They told her she can only touch Santana's right hand and to be very gentle, so that's what she did, even though Maribel wanted to squeeze her baby girl tight in her arms. 'What's with our family and car accidents?' She thinks and shakes her head. After she cried and calmed down, the older Latina was ready to hear the medical situation of her daughter. The doctor said Santana suffered from internal bleeding, a few broken ribs, and damage to her spleen and worse of all, Santana has a brain injury. The surgeries went well, but Santana's brain is swollen, the doctor continues and tells Maribel that they had to put Santana in a medically induced coma to help reduce the swelling and brain damage that can occur in cases like this. The woman almost collapsed at the news, and only after she drinks some water and takes a few minutes to cry and relax, the doctor keeps going. He tells her that they do have hope Santana will come out of it with minor damage or even not at all, but it can take a while so she needs to be patient. They talk some more and Maribel explain Santana's family situation to the doctor. After that, the woman go look for Rachel and gives her a tight hug when she finally see her.

"Oh, Rachel, honey.." The older woman tries to keep it together for the love of her daughter's life and the mother of her first grandchild, "I can't even imagine the day you had. How are you doing, darling?"

Rachel returned the hug, holding on a bit longer than normal. "I'm.. I 'm really scared, that's how I am doing." She gulps before letting go of the older woman. "But I wouldn't worry so much about me, how's Santana doing?"

"She.." Maribel takes Rachel's hand and walks with her to the bench and sits, "Santana had some bad injuries; internal bleeding, her spleen, broken ribs and her pretty face.." She grazes Rachel's hand and rock back and forwards, "But the surgery was a success, that's the good news. Unfortunately, there is more."

"M-More..?" Rachel looked at Maribel with worried eyes. "What.. What more is there?"

"The doctors, they put her in a c-coma." She says as gently as she can, "Santana's brain is swollen and it's supposed to help with that and prevent as much damage as possible. Her doctor said he thinks she has a very high chance to be perfectly fine, but it'd take time and we need to be careful with our hopes, because she's still in risk."

The thought of Santana in such a predicament shot through Rachel, and fast. The brunette nearly collapsed after hearing this, she couldn't believe that anyone would put Santana through this pain, or even the fact that Santana could get severely hurt. "I hate... I hate the fact that you'd always think the one who would be in a coma would be someone like me, and it never is someone like me.. It's always the stronger ones that get this hurt."

"Oh, mi preciosa alma," Maribel brings Rachel closer to her and puts one hand around her shoulder and with the other she holds Rachel's hands, "You're a strong young woman and I'm not just saying that, I've been hearing stories for years now. She maybe wasn't aware of her feelings, but mothers always know." She smiles at Rachel. "God put you are here because you have the strength to handle everything; be a mother to your child and a caring girlfriend to mi hija." The woman says, "But you're right about one thing, Santana is a strong woman and that's why I'm sure she'll come out of it and be alright."

Rachel slowly closes her eyes as tears started to fall, she shifts her body a bit to latch onto Maribel. Rachel pushes her head against the older woman's shoulder, loud and hard sobs were heard from Rachel.

"My sweet child.. Let it all out." Maribel hugs Rachel tightly and kisses her head a few times, "She will be alright, she has so much to come back to." She says as some tears fall down her face, "You know she doesn't call me often, usually we text, and she always talks about her girls; she's so proud of the two of you." Maribel manages a small smile, even when she's scared and worried, "You know it now, that for a mother there isn't anything better than to see her babies happy and Santana is so happy with you. The home you created for yourselves is her place and this is the life she was meant to have all along." She moves one hand on Rachel's back, "She tried to show everyone that she's a free spirit and doesn't need or want to settle down, but being in love and having a family was her biggest dream. Rachel, you fixed what was broken and she needs you now more than ever. She will get better, she just needs you by her side."

Rachel shook her head during her sobs as they became quieter, "I'm not strong.. I can't.. I just.." she tries to speak, but her sobbing catches up to her, she has a bit of a tighter grip as more tears fall down her cheek. "Both my girls.. Are in the hospital.. I don't know how.." Rachel continued to sob into Maribel's shoulder, the comfort she was getting was something, but she needed Santana's comfort right now, and she can't get it.

"I understand how you feel, honey, I do. And there isn't any reason behind it, bad things happen. But Dani is well and she'll be out of here very soon, I'm sure." Maribel says softly and tucks some hair behind Rachel ear, "You have people to support you, we have each other, but most of all, you have your love for my Santana." She wipes Rachel's tears and hugs her again, "Santana loves you so much, Rachel and if she believes you are strong, and so do I. Together we can do it, for her and for your daughter." She gets close to Rachel's ear and whispers, "The doctors are really amazing, but she needs to hear you and to know you are there."

"It's so hard.." Rachel quietly says as she sits up, she takes her glasses off to rub her eyes for a few moments. When she puts them back on she looks at Maribel and nods. "I wanna see her.."

"Of course. I talked to the doctor, he knows you're family." Maribel takes Rachel's hands in her, like before, "Drink some water and calm down before you get in. Her face has some cuts and bruises on them; I don't want you to get scared, she's still your girl." She gets up to bring Rachel a cup of water and sits back down.

Rachel takes the cup and downs the water quickly, she just wanted to see Santana as soon as she could. "Is there anything else I need to know before we see her?" She asks.

"She was badly hurt and has all these machines connected to her.." The older woman takes a deep breath and wipes the tears from her eyes before they have the chance to fall, "But she's mi hija, she's Santana and she needs you.. I'll stay here, go ahead, dear." She taps Rachel's hand with hers, then let her go.

Rachel gulped, then stood up, she walked to the room Santana was in. Carefully, she opened the door, what she saw damn near killed her. Rachel walked to the bed, her heart was beating fast from how shocked she was; Rachel sat in the chair beside the bed, resting her hand on Santana's. "B-Baby.." She softly spoke. "My poor love.. I'm so.. So.. So.. So fucking sorry.."

* * *

Rachel stays in Santana's room for a couple of hours and if it wasn't for the doctors' rounds, she'd stay longer. Mostly, Rachel just looked at her girlfriend lying in bed and from time to time she said a few things, but it was too hard on her. She was there, Rachel could smell her scent, and she felt her warm body and watched her breath in and out. But the room was quiet; her girl wasn't saying anything, all Rachel could hear were the machines keeping her alive. When it was time for her to leave, Rachel took Santana's jacket that she noticed earlier, not caring it had some blood on it; she needed to feel close. She sees Maribel and the woman tells her she was with Dani a little, but didn't tell her all about Santana's condition, then she walked talk to the doctors and Rachel kept going back to her daughter's room.

In her room, Dani and Kurt are watching another movie. The young girl told her uncle she won't go to sleep until Rachel comes back with news about her mama and Dani can be very stubborn. For some moments, Dani forgot where she is or what happened to her and her mama, but then felt guilty she was getting better while she has no idea what's going on with Santana. Seeing Santana's mom made it even more scary; if Santana was ok, why does her mom here? Dani snuggles into Kurt's side and, in the back of her mind, pray to see her moms soon.

Rachel embraced Santana's jacket as she walked inside, she saw Kurt and Dani cuddled up; in her head it was one of the most adorable things she had seen. She sat on the chair at the end of the room and watched them. "So.. What did I miss?"

"Not much, abuela was here and Kurt and I watched some movies.." Dani says nervously and sits up, "H-How's mama?" She glance at the jacket, then looks back in her mom's eyes.

"Sh-.. She's very hurt.. The uh.. The doctors needed to put mama in a medically induced coma.." Rachel struggled to explain it, especially since it was hard for her to even envision it. "It's to.. Help the swelling in her brain go down.. But the good news is that she should be fine, there is a high chance of mama coming back to us at some point."

"C-Coma? Some point?" Was that supposed to be good news? Because Dani feels like her world is crumbling. She scoots away from Kurt and looks at Rachel with tears in her eyes. Dani feels very embarrassed to do it, but she reaches her arms forward and her lips begin to quiver again.

Kurt got up quickly and looked between the two.

Rachel moved to the chair that Kurt was sitting in, wrapped her arms around Dani and held her close. "If they didn't put mama in the coma.. She could have gotten severely hurt, it was for the best.." She said while sniffling. "But it will be okay, I promise.."

Dani grips tightly on Rachel's shirt, she can smell Santana's scent and it helps her relax just a little. "A-Are you going to sleep with her tonight?" She pulls Rachel's shirt, wanting her to lie next to her, "When can I see her? How long does she have to stay like that?" Dani's head is floating with questions and she can't stop to think before they get out.

"I don't know, maybe in the morning we can see her." Rachel gently rubbed Dani's arm, breathing calmly. "I will be sleeping in here with you honey, abuela is sleeping in Santana's room tonight." she explained then looked over at Kurt. "Uhm.. I am not sure how late non family visits are.."

Kurt gently waved his hand. "I know, and I will probably be here.. Or at least the waiting room 'till Blaine gets off work.. So if you need anything you can text me." he said before pulling his coat up from one of the chairs. "You can borrow the laptop for the night."

"Mom, I'm scared to go to sleep." Dani admits quietly once they're alone and clings at Rachel for dear life. "What if something happens to her?"

Rachel needed to lighten the mood a tiny bit, she thought of a few things she could say before letting out. "Then she will wake up pissed."

"She'll wake up pissed no matter what.." Dani nuzzles Rachel's neck and tries to get closer, "No makeup, hospital gown and she'd probably say she's still tired." She let out a soft giggle, then clears her throat. "I miss her.." She says quietly and her eyes closed, "I love you, mom." Dani just feel the need to make sure Rachel knows.

"I love you too, sweetheart.. Sleep." Rachel kisses the top of Dani's head.

Dani tries to fight off the sleep, but the events of the day drained her. Her head on Rachel's chest, listening to her heart beats, and she slowly dozing off.

* * *

Share your thoughts about the chapter!

'till next time :)


	20. Chapter 20 - Part II

**Chapter 20! Wow, time flies when you're having fun..**

**We'd like to thank everyone who support and like the story, we appreciate it very much ****:).**

**Co-writing with Newphewsnixx.**

**Part II**

* * *

The night in the hospital went not too bad; Dani managed to get some hours of sleep between getting up sweating and crying a couple of times. Rachel calmed her down by stroking her hair and singing to her. Rachel, herself, slept for only three hours; the thought of something happening to her girls kept her wide awake most of the night. The next morning, Rachel went to get some coffee while Dani's doctor checked on her. When she came back, he said Dani is good to go home. He told Rachel to let her stay home for one more day, because of all that happened, he also said to make sure she takes her medicines and goes to therapy regularly. Rachel nodded, wanting to take Dani out of there already. The young girl was feeling much better when they took the IV out and let her out of her room, but her nightmare was far from finished. Rachel promised to take her to see Santana before going home and she explained to her what she's going to see once they're there; Dani wanted to see her mama more than anything, but she was still scared.

When Dani finished texting Marley, she looks up and sees Rachel signing some papers, "Mom! Is it going to take much longer? I want to see mama.." She pouts.

"Uh.." Rachel finishes up on signing the papers real quick, and then places them in her purse. "We can go now." She looks at Dani with a slight smile on her face, even though she was still upset about everything that happen, and she could barely sleep 70% of the night she spent with Dani, she was amazingly able to smile.

The two steps outside the room and Dani stays close to Rachel and let her lead them to where Santana's room is. With every step Dani feels her heart beats faster and her mouth get dry. When they leave the elevator, Dani looks at Rachel, "You're going to be there with me, right?" She bites her lips and looks ahead so she won't trip.

"You know I will." Rachel gently patted Dani's back as they finally make it to Santana's room. "Dani, before we go inside.. I need to remind you that Santana is a bit banged up.. Her face is swollen as well.. Not as badly as it could be, but it is noticeable."

Dani nods and take one deep breath before she opens the door and walks in. At first she can't see Santana clearly and slowly steps forwards as she takes Rachel's hand and hold it tightly. She takes a step back when she sees Santana's face and all the tube connected to her. Before Rachel has a chance to say anything, Dani walks closer to Santana and gently place her hand on hers. "H-Hey, mama.." She says with a voice choked with tears, "We're here, waiting for you to get better. I do need to tease someone and with you, it's the most fun." She chuckles softly.

Rachel watches closely as Dani tries to interact with Santana, smiling a bit at how peaceful Santana looked, but mostly about how collected Dani was about this situation. "You know.. Santana still looks completely beautiful.. Even with the scratches and bruises all over her.." Rachel felt the need to point out.

"Of course she is," Dani moves some hair from Santana's face, "Like she'd let anyone ruin her face." If someone would ask her how come she's not freaking out, Dani wouldn't know what to say. Santana might be seriously hurt, but all she sees is her mom sleeping peacefully and all Dani needs is for her to wake up so they'd take her home. The young girl wraps one arm Rachel and places the other back on Santana's hand, "We're a family, and she can't leave us." She says to Rachel and looks back at Santana, "I love you, mama."

It's nearly heartbreaking to hear a young woman tell her parent she loves them and only getting beeps and occasional machine whirl sounds as a response. Rachel wasn't sure how strong she can be when she sees Dani's attempt at interacting with Santana almost kills the Jewish girl, even worse than the first time she saw Santana like this. Before Rachel could say anything, Kurt is at the end of the room looking in on the rest of his family.

"Hey girls, Maribel and I will be waiting in the car for you; I kinda would like to beat the traffic before it gets worse than what it is." Kurt softly requested knowing that Dani and Rachel are still terrified of leaving.

Dani wants to go home, be in her room and shower, but how can she do it knowing Santana stays here? Well, Rachel did promise to bring her over as much as she can and they already talked about it. Dani doesn't want to make it harder on Rachel so she just nods. "Can I kiss her, mom?" She asks and looks at Rachel with sad eyes.

"Yeah.." Rachel gives a nod.

Dani comes closer to Santana ear, "Don't make me wait too long, mama." She whispers and a tear drop down on Santana's pillow. She then kisses Santana's cheeks and caress her hand one last time. "Your turn, mom." Dani says and steps back to give Rachel some space.

Rachel was reluctant to go near Santana; she was still frightened a bit after seeing her the previous night. But she swallowed her pride and moved closer to the bed, she held Santana's hand for a few moments. "I love you.." Rachel said before leaning in a bit, and then pecked Santana on the lips once. "I'll stay strong for you.." she says as she moves back a bit, fighting more tears. "L-Let's go.."

* * *

The ride home was mostly quiet, although they did try to have some small talk one someone had too many thoughts. Maribel was coming to stay with them; Rachel couldn't let her stay in a hotel and having someone there might be helpful. When they finally got home, Kurt told them to call him if they need anything and entered his apartment. Dani waited for Rachel to open the door, and then ran inside. Something felt off, but she was home and that gave her some comfort.

"Mom, I'm going to take a shower." She announces, and then come closer to Rachel, "Will it be ok if I'd stay in your room for a while after I'm finished?" She asks nervously.

"Sure." Rachel placed a bag on the kitchen table. "Stay out of the top drawer though." She pointed at Dani, giving her a serious look. "That is.. Personal."

Dani gives Rachel a disgusted face, "TMI, mom.." She says and leaves to ready for the shower. First, Dani gets in her room and text Marley she'd call her in a little while, then she takes underwear and pants and goes to her moms' room. There, Dani looks for a shirt that belongs to Santana. Lucky for her, Santana has some small things in her closet. She finds that is a bit big on her and finally, she goes to the bathroom for a warm bath.

Rachel shook her head and smirked, and then she turned her attention to Maribel. "Mrs.. I can call you Maribel now, correct?" she asks.

"Of course," Maribel chuckles, "Dani reminds me so much of her." The older Latina follows Dani as she walks back and forwards in the apartment, but then focuses on Rachel, "What do you say I'll cook us something?" She smiles and looks around, "I was here once, a long time ago, you made it feel like a home.."

"Oh.. Damn, I forgot to go grocery shopping." Rachel sat in the dining chair. "I am such a mess right now." She covered her face and groaned loudly.

"No, darling, no.." Maribel comes closer to Rachel and puts her hands on her arms, "You're doing great so far. Your child is safe and home and that's always the first priority." She says, "I'll get Kurt to take me to the grocery shop, then I'll make us a delicious meal." Maribel stats, "You go, take a shower and try to relax."

"I'll take one later." Rachel nods slowly, and then rests her hand on her palm. "You know, I can really see where Santana gets her compassionate nature from." she points out with a smile on her face.

"She was so lost, but being caring, even too much at times, was always a part of her." Maribel smiles, "You should've seen her when her dad got sick.. She did everything for him!" She laughs and in her heart, she prays her daughter's won't have the same tragic ending; not when she finally lives her dream.

"I don't know what I got from my parents.. Maybe my Broadway dreams.. And my mom's jawline." Rachel mumbles. "You know, I haven't introduced Dani to my mom yet.."

"Why is that, honey?" She asks, "Are worried about something?"

"She can get.. A bit harsh.. She used to be the coach at Vocal Adrenaline, but that was nearly a decade ago." Rachel explains while parting some hair behind her ear. "I don't know.. Maybe I will see if she's in town sometime within the next couple months."

"I don't know much about her and your relationship, but you're her daughter and a major change happened in your life, you should be able to share it with your mom." The older woman says, "Give her a chance; if her reaction isn't what you expected, go on with your life and if she's cool, you'd have an opportunity to get close and be in each other's life."

"Yeah.." Rachel nods in agreement. "Maybe this summer I will see about getting her over here, or something." She looks up at Maribel. "So.. What did you have in mind for dinner?"

"You do that, family is important." She caresses Rachel's face then turns to look at the kitchen, "Maybe Lasagna? And I can bring Ben & Jerry's for dessert." She glances at Rachel and walks to the kitchen, "You want to give me a list of things you, guys, need?" She opens the refrigerator, "Besides the basic, I mean."

"If you wanna make you and Dani lasagna, by all means." Rachel also got up and walked over to the fridge, looking for her bag of salad. "I'm gonna eat salad for dinner."

"Are you sure, sweetie? Since you and Santana started dating, I've learned some vegetarian recipes." Maribel keeps looking around, making a note in her head of all the things the girls need her to buy, "Or I can make us pasta. I want you to eat something warm and homey."

"As much as I would love that, I am fine with salad." Rachel smiled at the older woman. "But that won't be 'till later." She said before walking away from the kitchen.

"Ok, so I'll go to talk to Kurt." Maribel goes after Rachel and when she gets to her, she cups her face, "Promise me you're going to rest, at least until I come back."

"Good." The woman smiles, "I'll be back soon." Maribel takes her coat and bag, and then leaves the apartment.

* * *

Back in the apartment, Dani finished her shower and in her room. Wearing Santana's shirt makes her feel better and more confident that it'll be ok. She sits on her bed, thinking what she should do; Marley and Elliot are still in school, so she couldn't talk to them and she's getting a little bored. Dani steps out of the room to look for Rachel, "Mom?"

"Yes, hon?" Rachel asked as she walked to the couch, looking over at Dani with a smile on her face. "You look so cute." She happily compliments.

"Thanks.." Dani says with a light blush on her cheeks and sits on the couch as well, "Can Marley visit later?"

"Well.." Rachel quickly was thinking that over in her head, but shrugged and nodded. "Sure, but you know the rules." She crossed her arms and smiled some. "You gotta do the dishes before Maribel gets back from the store." Rachel playfully poked Dani's side. "There isn't much in the sink so it shouldn't be a problem."

Dani gives Rachel a small pout, but then nods; she wants to see her girlfriend and her chores are pretty easy, keeping her room clean and doing the dishes. "What are you going to do?" She looks around, "And where did abuela go?"

"Getting stuff for lunch, and possibly dinner." Rachel explains then kicks her feet up onto the coffee table. "I will be relaxing, Abuela told me to relax while she's out." She said while looking at Dani. "I'll probably be looking at specific stuff on my laptop for a few."

Dani chuckles, "Mama is just like her." She leans on Rachel's shoulder. "Can Marley and I stay in your room when she's here? "

"With the door open, sure." Rachel ruffles Dani's hair. "Now, go get those dishes done, sooner you do, the longer we can sit on the couch and do nothing 'till you get bored."

"I came here because I was bored and you told me to go do the dishes," Dani says playfully, "What will you have me do when I come back?" She raises her eyebrow and walks to the kitchen.

"Maybe we could take off and go to Neverland, Wendy!" Rachel responds in her mocked up Peter Pan voice. "All seriousness though, I guess we could catch up on any shows we missed.." She suggested, leaning back against the couch and leaning her head back a bit so she can partially see Dani. "What do you wanna do?"

"Neverland sounds good to me, but you won't be able to get in." Dani giggles and starts to wash the plates, "Watching some shows is good. Oh, and mom," She looks over her shoulder, "Can you remind me to take my pill before lunch? I always forget this one.."

"I wonder if there is a pill to make you stop implying that mama and I are old." Rachel gave Dani an unimpressed look. "Yeah, I'll remind ya."

"Nah, you love me as I am." Dani shrugs, "And don't worry, mom, when mama comes back I'll go back to mostly teasing her." She states and changes the subject, "Are you excited for your play?"

"Well.. It's at a smaller venue now, so I am more than ready. The big one at the Garden scared me like crazy; I'm surprised I didn't collapse from the amount of people." Rachel points out.

"You were so good back then! It was so fun seeing you on stage." Dani says and smiles at the memory, "Elliot talks about going again, just him, me and Marley. Can we?"

"You all are lucky you have me in your life, getting $500 worth of good seats for free." Rachel sticks her tongue out over at Dani. "Want that booth again? Or do you want to be closer to the stage?" She asks before picking her cellphone up.

"The things you do for your biggest fans." Dani smiles, "Closer, please?"

Rachel nodded, and then hit a few keys on her phone before placing it to her ear. "Hi.. Yeah, I was wondering if you could reserve three seats, preferably closer to the stage, but not too close.. Yes.. Perfect.. Thank you so much, doll. 'Kay, bye!" She smiled, then hung up the phone. "Okay, you got three seats, great seats too." Rachel turned her body a bit to look over at Dani. "Oh, do you three want a little tour around set?"

"Really?! That would be so cool!" Dani finishes washing the dishes and dry her hands, "You're the best, mom." She smiles and opens the fridge, "You want juice?"

"I went from old, to the best.." Rachel said, feeling proud of herself. "Sure, juice would be nice." She nodded.

Dani laughs and pours the two of them some apple juice and then walk to the couch. She gives Rachel her glass and sits, "So, what are we watching?"

"I will let you pick, I want our little time to be more about you. So you can decide." Rachel hand's Dani the remote.

"Can we do a 'Friends' marathon? I know it's old, but I watched some with mama and it was funny." Dani asks and sip her juice.

"Yeah, just go to the Amazon Video app on the TV." Rachel nods then takes a sip. "Thanks for the juice by the way."

* * *

Some hours passed by in which Rachel and Dani snuggled together on the couch, then helped Maribel to cook lunch and ate it. Dani feels strange; being at home without Santana is very different, but she kept it to herself so she won't make it harder on Rachel. After cleaning up after lunch, Dani sat with Maribel and the woman told her some stories about Santana. Their time together was cut off when there was a knock on the door and Dani got up to open it.

"Hey, Marls." She smiles and her face light up when she sees the girl.

Marley lightly pecked Dani on the lips then looked around the room nervously. "I brought the homework you missed yesterday and today." She said as her attention focused back onto her girlfriend. "Also Elliot said to get better soon."

"Thank you and I'll call to thank him later." Dani says. She can't take her eyes off Marley and when she notices they're still and the door, she blushes and move to make room for Marley to get in and mumbles "Sorry.."

From the couch, Maribel looks at how the young girls interact and smiles, "Hello, Marley. Nice to see you again. Are you well?"

"H-Hi Mrs. Lopez.." Marley blushed then bowed quickly. "I am fine, I was terrified yesterday because I couldn't see Dani while she was at the hospital.. But I am fine.." She explains as she walks in to the apartment, but she feels glaring eyes on her, specifically from Rachel. "R-Rachel, uh.. Hi." She looked at the older brunette with a nervous smile.

Rachel kept her glare towards the young girl, she still wasn't that much of a fan of Marley kissing Dani, especially since they are young, and are more than willing to explore what they can with the thrill of defying parents.. At least that's what Rachel felt like they would do. "Marley." Is all she says as a response.

Dani frowns at her mother's dry responds and how she looks at Marley, but she and Santana always acts weird and over protective. She takes Marley's hand and mouthing to Rachel, "Mom.." Then looks between the older women, "We'll go now.."

_'And I thought my daughter is protective..'_ Maribel thinks as she looks at Rachel. She nods at Dani and her girlfriend, "Have fun, girls." She says, then looks back at Rachel with a knowing look and a smile.

Rachel's eyes followed the girls as they walked to her room "Door open." she said out loud before turning her attention to Maribel. "Kids." Rachel smirked, then shrugged. "What can ya' do?" She chuckles before picking up her cup and taking a sip of her drink.

"Yes, this is the fun part, when they start dating.." Maribel taps Rachel's shoulder and chuckles. "She'd get annoyed at you no matter what and you only want to keep her safe.." She leans back on the couch, "Just be careful, darling; you'd might think teenage boys rebel, but it's nothing compared to girls."

"That's what scares me the most about those two dating, I mean I trust Dani and all but Marley.. I mean she makes my girl happy." Rachel sits up and places her hands on her lap. "I love it when my girl is happy, but I don't want a chance that.. The dirty, is the reason she's happy at various points in time.."

"You're right to be concerned and protective of your girl." Maribel assures her, "But you need to remember how it is to be a teenager and knows that she knows everything that goes in here." She gives Rachel another knowing look. "I believe it's better they do it in a safe environment, than sneak around and get in trouble. But you do it your way, she's your child.. Just make sure to talk to her about it every now and then, being ignorant will only hurt her."

"My teenage experience is way different.. I didn't do it 'till I was an adult.. That was the only time I ever did for half a decade." Rachel did feel awkward talking about sex with Santana's mom, but Santana's mom did have more experience in raising a kid than Rachel did. Maybe Maribel was right, maybe Rachel shouldn't try to avoid Dani ever having sex, but rather she should make sure Dani is safe before ever attempting. "I guess so.." She sighs. "It wouldn't be fair to hinder Dani's chances just because I never had one when I was young.."

"She might not want to do it until she gets older, but you can't be sure. I suggest you talk to her because she needs to know what to expect and to know how to recognize a bad situation. She needs to know she can come to you if, God forbids, someone hurt her." Maribel speaks softly; she was a young mom once and no one was there to tell her there things, so she hopes she can help Rachel and her grandchild on the way. "You and Santana experienced things differently, it can help to bring two different prospective.."

Rachel slowly nods "Good point.. Should I go talk to her now?" she asks, not knowing if it's a good idea to bug her daughter while she has someone over.

"Maybe wait for later, when you'd be alone." Maribel smiles at Rachel, "Now, do you want to hang out with your future mother in law or have some alone time? Though the girls took over your room." She laughs, "And don't be shy, you have a lot going on.."

"Well, I do love hanging out with you." Rachel returns the smile. "What do you want to do?" She asks.

"Why don't you pick us something to watch while I call the hospital?" Maribel gets up, "I need some good news; Leo said he'll call later and if I won't have something positive to tell him, there is no way to tell what he'll do to get back home.." She says weakly and takes her phone out from the charger.

"Probably get honorably discharged." Rachel shrugged then got up from the couch, she walked to the DVD rack and looked around for a movie to watch.

Back in the room, "I swear.. They do hate me.. Well, not your grandma.. But your moms." Marley says as she walks to the bed, sitting down on it then sighs. "Ever since I openly said that I love you to everyone at the Christmas gathering I have gotten daggers pointed at me."

Dani sits next to Marley, "They don't hate you, Marls, or else they wouldn't let me see you." She wraps her arms around the girl's body, "Who knows what their problem is, they probably afraid we'll have.. You know.." Dani blushes at the thought and nuzzles against Marley's neck.

"W-Well.." Marley couldn't think of much due to Dani's soft skin brushing against her neck, for a moment her world was at a pause and all that was there was her, Dani and the bed they were sitting on. "They need to.." she gulped a bit. "They need to not worry about us doing that.. It's not like we will.." Marley was still struggling a bit to think. "You know?"

Dani felt a little hurt; they never talked about it and she only thought about it once or twice, but hearing Marley saying that they won't hit a nerve. She looks up at her girlfriend, "Yeah.. I mean, we're not ready.." She feels nervous, "But we might.. In the future? But not now and only if we'd want to." She scoots a bit from Marley and looks down.

"Y-Yeah.. Future.." Marley gulped and pushed her two index fingers together, unsure how to go about this moment with Dani. She did feel as if maybe Dani was offended by the way she worded things. Marley looked into Dani's eyes for a few moments "Only when we both are ready.. That's the mature way to go about this.. Right?"

"Yeah, I believe it is.." She moves up on the bed and gesture Marley to come closer. "A-Are you r-ready?" She feels a little awkward asking it, but she's curious.

Marley gulps, then moves closer to Dani, looking into her eyes nervously placing one hand on Dani's waist. "I don't know.. I know that I want it to be with just you.. If that means anything.."

Dani feels the blush spreading to her ears. She scoots closer to Marley, "It means everything." She smiles, "And I want it to be with you too.. I love you." She pecks Marley's lips, then bites her own lips.

"Do you have any idea how beautiful you are?" Marley softly pecks Dani's lips, keeping their faces close to each other. "I love you too.."

"I missed you so much.." Dani holds Marley tightly, "And I needed you with me so badly.."

"I missed you too.. I didn't sleep at all last night.. After seeing you get put on a gurney, I was.." Marley's eyes formed a few tears, she sniffled and held onto Dani tighter than normal. "I was so scared of losing you.."

Dani kisses Marley, this time with some passion, then she pulls away, "I'm sorry for scaring you." She leans her forehead on Marley's, "It was hell yesterday; my attack and then knowing Santana got badly hurt.." She sighs, "I'm just really glad you are here now, holding me."

Marley brushed their noses together gently, "If she's what you've said she is.. Santana will survive and come back better than ever." She said with confidence. "And you will always have me to hold.. Just let me know and I will be here as quick as I can."

"Always." Dani rests her head on Marley's shoulder, "I want you to always be with me." She place two kisses on her neck and relax in her arms.

Marley slowly nods, her eyes drooping shut against her will, or at least what will she had. Eventually she gives in and falls asleep while holding on to Dani.

Dani was in deep thoughts; about what happened to her, how worried she is for Santana and her relationship with Marley. After what she can only assume were a few long minutes, Dani shakes her head and can see her girlfriend sleeping peacefully while holding onto her. Dani smiles at how cute Marley looks, she can actually feel herself falling for her ever more. The pink haired girl doesn't want to wake her girlfriend and it feels pretty damn great, so she reaches for her homework, which was thankfully on Santana's nightstand, and start catching up on what she missed.

Rachel shook her head at the DVD rack and decided to go check on the girls, and see if they wanted anything. The brunette walked to her and Santana's room and to her surprise, saw Marley asleep and Dani doing her homework. "Uh.. What uhm.. What's up?" She asks.

Startled by Rachel's appearance there, Dani accidently drew a line all over what she wrote. "Oh, shit.." She sighs and looks at Rachel, "W-We were just talking and s-she fell asleep.." Dani gulps and blush, "I didn't want to wake her, so I'm just doing my homework.."

_'Dammit.. Marley looks adorable..'_ Rachel pursed her lips, shook her head then looked at Dani. "That's good you're doing homework.. Uh.. Did you want Marley to stay the night?" She asks, and as much as she didn't want to allow overnight visits without Santana around, she also wanted Dani to feel better after what happened with her at school. "I can take Marley home in the morning, or something.."

"Really?!" Dani smiles, then quickly looks at Marely to make sure she didn't wake her up. She caresses Marley's hand and looks back at her mom with a bit of sadness, "No, she can't.. She has a dentist appointment in the morning.. But can she stay for dinner?"

Rachel nodded, "Sure, I'll let abuela know that we are having a guest stay over for dinner." She explained then turned to leave, but remembering what she was initially there for; she turned and scratched the back of her head. "Want anything to drink?"

"Some milk.. And cookies, please?" Dani smiles, "Thank you mom, for everything." She appreciated her mom's offer and new it wasn't easy for her. It still feels uncomfortable for her that Rachel is there when she and Marley are so close, but she guesses that's how it suppose to feel..

"Okay." She smiled back at her daughter before leaving the area. Rachel walked to the kitchen, taking out a cup for Dani, then she looked in the cupboards to make sure they had cookies. "Shit.." she whispered. "Maribel?" Rachel calmly called out.

"Yes, dear?" Maribel calls out from the living room.

"Would you be okay with hanging out with the girls for a bit? I need to steal some cookies from Kurt's apartment." Rachel says as she grabs the key Kurt gave her. "I shouldn't be long."

Maribel giggles and shakes her head, "No problem."

"Thanks."

* * *

Rachel got the cookies after being lectured by Kurt that she needed to stop taking his groceries without asking him, nothing she hasn't dealt with before. After a little while Marley woke up, then she and Dani shared the cookies Rachel had got for them. A small amount of time later Rachel thought it'd be a good learning experience to have the young ones work the kitchen.

Dani enjoys cooking, but she's kinds stressed doing it with Marley, and while her abuela watching. When they get into the kitchen Maribel tells them they're going to prepare sweet potato and lime taquitos and that she's going to instruct them every step of the way. First, they had to chop the sweet potatoes into small pieces and cook it with onions spices. Marley peels, while Dani quickly chops the sweet potatoes. The pink haired girl still glances at her girlfriend and smile at how cute she looks concentrating on her task. After the first task is done, it's time to put everything in a pan for a little while; Dani tries to be careful, but the hot oil splashes on her. She gasps and jumps backwards, bumping into Marley. Rachel gasps as well, but when she hears the girls giggle, she relaxes and only shakes her head. While they're waiting, Rachel gets the soda from the fridge and the girls set the table. The last step is to put everything in the taquitos and put it back in the pan. They wait about 15 minutes for it to be ready, then sits at the table to eat.

Marley is somewhat nervous as to how she did, it was rare that she actually cooked anything, let alone cook a vegan meal. What helped the moment was Dani helping her on anything she may have messed up on, Marley knew Dani would cook with Santana from time to time so it wasn't completely bad on the young brunette's part.

Rachel served the portions out to the group, then she dug her fork into the taquito, cutting a small part of it then took a bite of it. _'This is pretty good.. I wonder who worked the sauce..' _She thinks while chewing her bite, she nods in approval then swallows. "Who made the sauce?" Rachel asks.

Dani was ready to take the blame if anything went wrong, but it looks like Rachel likes it. "That was all Marley." She smiles and hopes it would get her girlfriend some points. She pours soda for her and Marley, then asks if her grandma and mom want some as well.

"Thank you, angel." Maribel says and take a few bites, "You did a very good job, niñas." She nods. The older woman wished the situation was different; she enjoys spending time with Rachel and Dani, but her heart keeps worrying about her daughter. She's sure that Santana would want them to be together and not to stop their life only because she's hurt. Maribel sip from the soda Dani poured her and leans back.

Rachel only nodded in agreement, then continued to eat. As much as she wanted to be the stone cold parent, she couldn't help but feel proud of Marley for being able to pull off her contribution to the meal. "Marley, do you have a ride home?" She asks.

Marley nervously bit her lower lip then shook her head. "No.. But I texted Elliot if he'd come by and walk home with me." She explained before taking a bite of her food.

Dani looks between the two and an idea comes to mind; maybe if they'd have just a little time alone, Rachel will warm up to Marley. "Mom can take you." She says happily, "Right, mom? Kurt is home and has his car, he wouldn't mind.." She gives Rachel her best puppy dog eyes, "It's late for Elliot to walk alone.. You don't mind, right?" It's only a short drive, Dani doesn't see that can go wrong.

Maribel watches the scene and tries her best not to laugh. _'These two young parents don't know what's in store for them, this girl knows what she's doing.'_ She thinks and looks at Rachel, waiting to hear her answer.

_'Way to trap me, kiddo..'_ Rachel thought as she glared at Dani; she wants to say no but at the same time she really didn't want to put Marley or Elliot at risk, New York is a dangerous place, especially at night. "Well.." She said while looking between the two young girls, Dani giving off the patented 'Berry Puppy Dog Pupils' and Marley just poking her food with her fork. "Yeah.. Okay, I'll see about driving you home Marley."

Marley looked over at Rachel, feeling a bit more nervous at the fact Rachel agreed, not that she'd complain, but she was worried nonetheless. "Uh.. Th-Thank you."

_'And that's how you do it!'_ Dani gives herself a high five, proud that's her plans always work. "Thanks, mom." Dani grins and turns her attention to Marley, "We worked hard on it and it's really yummy, so eat." She says and rubs Marley's leg, then places her hand back on the table.

Marley harshly gulped her food the second Dani rubbed her leg, she then turned her attention to Dani and smiled at her. "Thanks.." She softly says before going back to her food. _'God.. Why did you rub my leg?'_ She thought to herself.

The rest of the dinner was pretty chill. Maribel asked the girls about school and Rachel told her about her play and how good it's going. When they were finished eating, Dani cleared the table and went with Marley to her room while Rachel asked Kurt about taking his car. Dani calmed Marley down about driving with Rachel and they hugged some more. When Rachel came back, she had Kurt's key and told them it's time to say goodbye. The girls pecked each other lips and Rachel and Marley left. Dani was a bit nervous and prayed her planed would go smoothly. She went and did the dishes to pass the time until Rachel get home and she could text Marley and finds out if the girl is still alive.

* * *

The drive was quiet and, unfortunately, it was filled with traffic, and Rachel was already stressed out as it was; she has a daughter at home who is struggling mentally and the love of her life in the hospital fighting to recover. It seems as if Rachel couldn't catch a mental break, now she has to take the girlfriend of her daughter home and in all honesty, Rachel was still pissed about seeing those two make out on her old bed, in her old room. Marley was scared, she sat and watched Rachel's face go through different stages of anger due to the traffic, on top of that Marley felt like she didn't belong around Dani because of how Rachel and Santana look at her.

They stopped at a light and it seemed like they were going to be there for a while, this was the perfect time for Marley to try and connect with Rachel.

"M-Ms.. Uh.. Rachel?" Marley nervously called out.

Rachel didn't look towards Marley, and stayed quiet.

The silent response made Marley feel not at ease, she pushed her index fingers together and pursed her lips for a few seconds. "Do you and Santana hate me? You two have been glaring at me ever since we visited Lima.." She briefly mentions.

Rachel let out a sigh, then shook her head. "Let's just, stay quiet and focus on the road.."

Marley didn't want to let that go; she wanted to be closer to Rachel and Santana for Dani's sake, secretly for her own as well. "Rachel.. I love Dani, she's my one.." Marley wasn't shy about her feelings for the pink haired girl. "I want to have a future with her, I picture us doing lots of traveling and sightseeing and.. All that corny stuff.."

Rachel shook her head once more, "You're 15, what the hell do you know about love?" She asks then turns her head to Marley. "What are you willing to do for my baby? Love? Sorry, not buying it. From what I've seen you want to have sex with her." Rachel sharply barks.

"Yeah, I'd love to have sex with her, when we are both ready." Marley actually felt insulted, and she for a short amount of time didn't care that Rachel was an adult. "Also, what do you mean by _'From what I've seen'_?" She asks.

Rachel's eyes widened a bit, forgetting that Marley doesn't know about Rachel catching the two making out a certain way. She sighed and looked at the road. "Like I said.. Quiet and road." She demanded.

_'Lima.. What she saw… Oh god.'_ Marley's eyes widened more than Rachel's. "You saw Dani and I make out!?" She asked somewhat loudly. "That's why you two hate me, because of that?"

"I want my baby to stay pure, and you are trying to ruin that." Rachel lets out.

Marley's heart almost broke when she heard that. "Rachel.." She weakly spoke before her lips quivered, she looked away from the older woman. "So you see me as.. Some plague that ruins your family?" She asks. "What's next? Are you going to say that I am the reason Santana's in the hospital now?"

"Maybe I should!" Rachel yells as she slams her hands into the steering wheel.

Snap.. That was the sound of Marley's heart, not once did she ever think that she was so hated by anyone, not even the kids that picked on her were this brutal. Her hands covered her face, as she quietly sobs.

Rachel looks down at the girl, almost seeing a mirrored reflection of her every time she would cry, and suddenly Rachel's heart also broke. "I'm such a bitch.." she utters to herself. "Marley, honey." She looks over at the young girl and frowns, feeling guilty for ever lashing at her. "Sweetie, I am so sorry.." Rachel says, the traffic was going and there were cars honking at her to move, but she ignored them. "I've been so stressed about everything lately, and on top of that I have been trying to be the strong, assertive parent to Dani, that I forgot that you are also a kid yourself.. And that you have feelings too." She explains, then reaches out to place a hand on her shoulder. "You're a great kid, and I should not have said what I said, or even remotely made you feel like I hated you.. I never hated you; in fact, it's almost a complete opposite." Rachel continues then focuses on the road as she starts driving again.  
The remainder of the drive was quiet, but now it was more of a worry on Rachel's end because she knows that when she gets home she'll get scolded by Dani for what she said. Rightfully so, and Rachel knew it would be right. They pull up in the driveway, no car there which only indicates that Millie isn't home.

"Thank you for the ride.." Marley lets out before unbuckling her seatbelt.

Rachel gently pulled Marley to her and held her as tight as she could, if there was one thing Rachel knew how to do more than acting, it was embracing people she cared for. "Marley, I am so sorry.. Again." She admits. "I don't deserve your forgiveness, but just know that I do care for you, almost on the same level I care for Kurt.. Which is a lot so that should tell you something."

Marley was unsure how to go about this, she was considering just staying quiet and leaving, but at the same time the mother of the love of her life is apologizing and admitted that she cared. For the first time Marley saw a true compassionate side to Rachel, she didn't see the older brunette as just the mother of her girlfriend anymore, she saw this woman as a future mother-in-law. "I.. I forgive you, Rachel.." She hugs the woman back for a few seconds then let go. Marley gave a slight smile before leaving the car.

Rachel waited 'till Marley made it inside her house, once she did, it was time to go back home.  
The drive back seemed quicker than the drive to Marley's house, which Rachel was nearly regretting going back; she knew Marley probably talked to Dani about what she said. Rachel knew very well that she was going to be in deep trouble, but she didn't know how she could approach the situation, this was something she was thinking as she walked up the stairs and to her apartment door.

* * *

Dani walks from her moms' room to the kitchen, while saying good night to Marley. They talked for a little while when the other girl got home, but now Marley had to go. Just when she says 'I love you too' to Marley and hung up, Rachel gets it.

"Hey, mom." Dani says and open the fridge, "Want some 'Ben and Jerry's?" She turns to look at Rachel, "And I know, I need to get ready for bed, but I'm craving ice cream so much!"

"Uh.. No, thank you." Rachel shook her head then walked to the kitchen table, sitting on one of the chairs. "How were things here?" She asks.

"Abuela talked to the hospital and they said mama is the same, so that.. Nothing." Dani rolls her eyes as she puts ice cream for herself, "She's in my room; I gave her my laptop and she's watching something." Dani takes back the ice cream box to the fridge and gets a spoon, "I talked to Marley, but she had to go get ready for bed, so we said good night." She takes a bite, "Thank you for taking her home, by the way. " The young girl smiles, then keep eating.

"Y-Yeah.. No problem." Rachel nervously smiled a bit. "Uh, not to meddle in on your conversations with Marley, but did she mention how the ride went?" She asked, unsure if Dani was smiling because she wanted to smile or smiling because she was waiting for the right moment to get angry with Rachel.

"Long? She said there was traffic, but you put some music on and it wasn't that bad.." Dani answers and raising her eyebrow, "Why?"

_'Marley didn't tell her..'_ Rachel bit her lower lip and was lost in her thoughts for a second. "Uh.. No reason." She answers.

"O..K.." Dani finish eating and turns to wash the bowl and spoon, "I'm going to get ready for bed. Oh, and you need to sleep on mama's side, because I'm too used on sleeping on yours."

"Of course." Rachel says with some playful sass behind her voice, she gets up and starts walking to her room. "Say good night to abuela before you come to my room." Said Rachel as she opens the door, walks to her bed, then lays on Santana's side.

Dani walks to the bathroom in her room to brush her teeth and wash her face. Suddenly, she feels exhausted from this long day. She exits the bathroom, says good night to her grandma and makes her way to her moms' room. Her heart breaks a little, for some reason she hoped Santana would be there. The young girl sighs and walks to Rachel's side of the bed and climbs in.

Rachel saw the look on Dani's face when she walked in, and it concerned her in more ways than one. "Honey, are you okay?" She asks in a calm, collected manner.

"Yeah.." Dani moves close to her mom, "Just want mama back." She sighs, "Are you going to sleep?"

"I might.. I don't know, I couldn't sleep at all last night, nor am I really tired tonight.." Rachel admits as she wraps her arms around Dani. "I miss mama too.."

Dani makes herself comfortable against Rachel's body, then speaks up, "You have to sleep, mom or else something will happen to you too." Dani looks up and tightens her grip, "We need to be strong to help mama come back and I'm sure she'd want you to take care of yourself, that's what important to her the most; us being safe."

Rachel wasn't gonna go into how hard she's trying, she knows Dani is struggling as much. But Dani was right, they did need to be strong for Santana, really strong. "Yeah.. Good point.." She admitted then closed her eyes.

"We'll be alright, we have to.." Dani kisses Rachel on the cheek. "Good night, mom. I love you." Dani closes her eyes and let sleep take over.

"I love you too Dani.." Rachel kissed the top of the young girl's head, but she didn't keep her eyes closed, she wasn't all that tired. She was more worried about Santana, it was driving her insane on the inside.

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**'till next time.**


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